Military tensions: Indian troops violate LoC ceasefire again

ISPR says Pakistani forces responded to ‘unprovoked firing’

RAWALPINDI: Indian troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control once again late Saturday night, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.

According to the military’s media wing, the Indian troops carried out firing in the Khoiratta (Bhimber) sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir along the ceasefire line. The exchange of fire, which began at 4:30am, continued to till 7am, it said.

“Troops of the Pakistan Army responded in a befitting manner to the unprovoked firing from across the Line of Control,” the ISPR statement said. “There was no loss reported, due to the unprovoked firing by Indian troops,” it added.

Tensions along the LoC have been high ever since India accused Pakistan of being involved in an attack on an army base in Uri on September 18, in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. Islamabad has denied the charge, which Delhi leveled without any substantial investigation or evidence.

Indian troops have resorted to cross-LoC shelling several times since, most notably on the night of September 28 – the night India claimed its special forces carried out ‘surgical’ raids inside AJK. Pakistan rubbished Delhi’s claims as a ‘farce’ aimed at appeasing right-wing elements in India.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2016.