Pak pounds Rajouri border areas

Jammu, January 2

The Pakistan army opened heavy fire and shelled mortars at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Saturday, prompting Indian troops to retaliate, officials said.

“Around 4.30 pm today, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along the LoC in the Nowshera sector in Rajouri,” a defence spokesman said.

The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, he said.

On Friday, JCO Naib Subedar Ravinder died after being injured in shelling by Pakistan in the Nowshera sector, the spokesman said.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 5,100 instances of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in 2020, official sources said.

This was the highest in 18 years with an average of 14 cases daily. Thirty-six persons were killed in these violations and over 130 injured.

Security officials said shelling and firing by Pakistani troops was “very heavy” in 2020, virtually making the 2003 India-Pakistan border truce “redundant”.

A senior police officer said Pakistan troops repeatedly targeted forwards posts and villages along the LoC and the International Border to create a fear psychosis among people and destabilise peace along the borderline. — PTI