Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC (Second Lead)

JAMMU - In yet another ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), the Pakistani army opened fire early Thursday at three Indian posts in Krishnaghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. The Indian Army may take up the matter with Islamabad.

Pakistani troops opened heavy machine gun fire coupled with mortars and rocket launchers at Kranti, Ghoda and Kirpan posts in Mendhar area in Poonch, 230 km from Jammu.

“The firing which started around 12.30 a.m. lasted for more than three hours,” an army source told IANS.

“The Indian side retaliated,” the source added.

But this incident, seen against the backdrop of the ceasefire violations since May 18 in Mendhar sector alone, has shown a clear attempt to raise “temperatures” on the LoC, the sources said.

While the local army commanders will take up the matter with their Pakistani counterparts over the latest incident and lodge a protest, the army headquarters in New Delhi has been asked to take up the matter at the highest level with Pakistan, the sources added.

The ceasefire had come into force in November 2003 when the Indian and Pakistani armies agreed to put an end to daily exchange of fire on the LoC and the international border with Pakistan.