E-Paper
Civilian injured in Kashmir’s Uri as Pakistan violates ceasefire
According to officials, Pakistani forces started violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement from 11:30pm on Thursday and the Indian Army retaliated to the firing. The shelling is still going in the area, they said.
A civilian was injured and two houses were damaged in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district as Pakistan continued to fire at Indian posts along the Line of Control on Friday, officials said.
According to officials, Pakistani forces started violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement from 11:30pm on Thursday and the Indian Army retaliated to the firing. The shelling is still going in the area, they said.
The civilian, who was identified as Riyaz Ahmad, was injured in Kamalkote village.
Indian and Pakistani soldiers had on Wednesday exchanged fire and shelling at Kamalkote and Kalgai villages close to the LoC which forced officials to suspend the weekly cross-LoC trade. The shelling spread panic in the villages close to LoC in Uri sector.
A girl was killed and a soldier, who was home on leave, was injured as Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling along the border in Poonch and Rajouri districts throughout the day on Thursday.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said on Thursday the Pakistani army resorted to ceasefire violations four times in Nowshera, Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara, Krishna Ghati and Degwar sectors in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
The firings by Pakistan came after the air forces of both the neighbours claimed to have downed each other’s fighter jets on Wednesday. Pakistan also captured Indian Air Force’s Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and its Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced that the officer will be released on Friday.
The tension between India and Pakistan has escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed rammed his explosive-laden car and blew up a bus killing 40 CRPF troopers on February 14.
News agency PTI has reported that 2018 witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations — 2,936 — by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the India-Pakistan border.
