Pak targets Indian posts in Poonch, Jammu sectors

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria and DK Sudan

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Poonch, August 3

Pakistani soldiers opened automatic weapon fire on several Indian posts along the Line of Control in four sectors of Poonch and Jammu districts through Sunday night, prompting the Indian side to retaliate in equal measure. In Poonch, Pakistani soldiers targeted forward villages as well.

“Pakistani soldiers violated the ceasefire agreement again last night and targeted Indian posts and villages in Krishna Ghati and Saujian sectors. The Pakistani army opened unprovoked firing at Kranti, Kirpan and Chaku posts from their Roza, Rashid and adjoining posts in Krishna Ghati sector,” said an Intelligence source.

The Krishna Ghati sector is being manned by the 22 Sikh Regiment on the Indian side. The 655 mujahid regiment of the Pakistani army guards the other side of the border in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

“In the Saujian sector of Mandi tehsil, Pakistani soldiers opened fire on Abad and other adjoining posts. They opened fire on forward villages as well,” he added.

Pakistani soldiers started unprovoked firing in the Krishna Ghati sector around 9:30 pm on Sunday and continued it till 3 am on Monday.

In the Saujian sector, the Pakistani side used heavy machine gun fire, triggering panic among villagers, who took refuge at safer places.

Mir Gulam Mohammed, a resident of Saujian village, said, “We heard some rounds of firing around 10:15 pm. In no time, the Pakistani army started targeting our village. We rushed to our bunkers in the basement to save ourselves. The firing continued till 3 am. Pakisani bullets hit our doors and iron sheets on rooftops.”

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said the Pakistani side opened unprovoked small arms and automatic weapon fire on Indian posts in Krishna Ghati, Saujian, Balakote and Pallanwala sectors of Poonch and Jammu districts.

“The firing began in all sectors between 9 pm and 9:30 pm and lasted till 3 am,” he said. He added that there was Pakistani firing in Balakote and Pallanwala sectors in Poonch and Jammu districts as well.

He said the Indian side responded in equal measure. He said there was no loss of life or injury on the Indian side in the latest round of skirmishes.

In their continued attempts to push terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistani army and Rangers had been regularly opening unprovoked fire and mortar shelling along the Line of Control in Poonch and Pallanwalla, Pargwal and RS Pura sectors along the international border since July 15.