Indian Army warns Pakistan against killing civilians
It said that the Army is maintaining strict vigil along the Line of Control and international border (IB).
New Delhi: The Indian Army on Wednesday warned Pakistan of dire consequences for any provocation by targeting civilians on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC). India and Pakistan used artillery guns across the LoC.
“Post our warning to the Pakistan Army ‘not to target civilian areas’, the overall situation along the Line of Control remains relatively calm,” said Indian Army.
It said that in the last 24 hours, the Pakistan Army resorted to intense and unprovoked firing with heavy calibre weapons in selected areas of Krishna Ghati and Sunderbani, targeting Indian posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs and heavy arty guns.
“The same was effectively retaliated by the Indian Army,” it said. There have been no casualties on the Indian side.
“We would reiterate that as a professional Army we are committed to avoid civil casualties, especially along the Line of Control. All actions taken by our defence forces are targeted towards counter terrorism and terrorist infrastructure, away from civilian areas, to avoid civilian casualties,” said the Army.
It said that the Army is maintaining strict vigil along the Line of Control and international border (IB). “Any further provocation or misadventure by Pakistan will be responded in a befitting manner with dire consequences,” it said.
Amid heightened Indo-Pak tension, sources in the security establishment on Wednesday said that Pakistan has mobilised additional troops and military equipment from its frontier with Afghanistan to forward positions in several sensitive sectors along the LoC in Kashmir.
Official sources said the warning came after Pakistan targeted forward posts in Nowshera sector with 155 mm artillery guns which was retaliated by the Indian Army with Bofors guns.
Sources said the military officials of the two armies spoke over the hotline on Tuesday during which India had asked Pakistani side not to target civilian population along the LoC.
Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan on February 26.