Two women killed as Indian forces open fire along the working boundary

Two women were shot dead and five people injured in cross-border firing along the working boundary in Sialkot's Chaprar sector between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.

According to the military's media wing, Indian forces continued their 'unprovoked' ceasefire violations and "targeted the civilian population along the working boundary in Kundan Pur, Sialkot sector overnight".

As a result of the unprovoked aggression by the Indian forces, two women on the Pakistani side were killed and five civilians, including three women, were injured.

Four soldiers martyred in cross-LoC fire

"Pakistan Rangers Punjab effectively responded to neutralise Indian Border Security Forces posts," the ISPR statement said.

Three soldiers martyred in cross-border firing by Indian army

Unprovoked firing by Indian forces across the LoC had taken 832 lives, left 3,000 injured and had damaged 3,300 houses in the first half of 2017, according to experts.

The Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr Mohammad Faisal, summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh today and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Working Boundary on January 18, 2018, in Sialkot Sector, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent civilians.

Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 110 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just 18 days, resulting in the shahadats of 3 innocent civilians, while injuring 10 others. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1900 ceasefire violations.

The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.

Director General SA & SAARC urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.