Tension has again gripped the Line of Control (LoC) after Pakistani army violated the border ceasefire and fired indiscriminately on the Indian forward positions leaving one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) dead in Saujiyan-Mandi sector of Poonch district in Jammu division. The fresh ceasefire violation comes a day after the new Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif offered olive branch to India and vowed to “progressively pursue” normalcy to settle all outstanding issues including Kashmir. SN Acharya, officiating defence spokesman at Jammu, said the firing came from thick forests across the LoC at around 1pm in Saujiyan-Mandi sector. “They used pika guns, rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and under barrel grenade launchers (to attack the Indian positions),” he said. A naib-subedar of the Indian army received grievous shrapnel injuries in the firing. He was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to wounds. The slain soldier has been identified as Bachan Singh. Indian army retaliated in a calibrated manner to the Pakistani firing to silence the guns from across the LoC. “There was a calibrated retaliation from our side. We have cordoned off the area. Search operation is on in the area (to find out any infiltration bid if any),” said the defence spokesman Following the firing, Indian army has put its troops on alert in all sectors along the line of control (LoC). The ceasefire violation comes five months after Pakistan troops crossed the LoC and beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj and severed head of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh of 13 Rajputana Rifles at Mendhar sector. There have been 154 ceasefire violations along the LoC from 2009 to August 2012. Of which 28 were reported in 2009, 44 during 2010, 51 in 2011 and 31 between January and August 2012. The ceasefire violation in Mandi sector has come at a time when all eyes are focused on the visit of prime minister Manmohan Singh to Srinagar on June 25. Political observers are attaching much importance to the visit saying the future of the peace process hinges on the visit. Observers, however, cautioned against those elements who may try to vitiate the atmosphere in both countries before the visit. Not first incident This is the fourth ceasefire violation on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir since May 24 when a brigadier and a jawan were injured in the Pakistani firing in Nougam sector in north Kashmir. There was subsequent ceasefire violation in same sector days later. On May 31 night the army killed three militants in the same sector who were trying to infiltrate into this side. Pakistan army also violated ceasefire violation in Chakan da Bagh area of Poonch district on May 27.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 05:46:30 +0000
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