Indian troops pounded the Pakistan Army’s administrative headquarters in Hajira area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) across the Line of Control (LoC), according to intelligence sources.
The attack, which also targeted 2-3 terror camps, came days after the Pakistani army pounded the 93rd infantry brigade headquarters and an army camp in Poonch on October 23.
An intelligence source said the Indian army used 120 mm mortars and artillery ammunition and pounded the administrative headquarters with nearly 12 rounds in the wee hours of the day.
He also said that the Pakistani army did not retaliate at that time.
The Pakistani army’s administrative headquarters at Hajira is around 18-20 km from the LoC in PoK’s territory, he said.
Defence sources, who confirmed the development, have also released a video of India’s retaliatory action.
They said the attack was evident from “photographs made available”. “The residents of border villages also reported that they could see smoke emanating.”
They also said that Indian forces had exercised restraint, and avoided civilian population in PoK towns in close proximity of LoC like Hajira, Bandi Gopalpur, Nikial, Samani and Khuiratta “despite the fact that Pakistan Army has settled ex-servicemen and retired government servants much to the chagrin of the disconcerted local populace there”.
Earlier this month, Union home minister Rajnath Singh had said that security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked not to fire first, but to retaliate without counting the bullets, if provoked.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this month, Union home minister Rajnath Singh had said that security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked not to fire first, but to retaliate without counting the bullets, if provoked.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan has carried out 1,591 incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and international border so far this year.
On September 18, BSF jawan Narendra Kumar was abducted and killed in Ramgarh in Samba district. Kumar’s throat was slit and his eyes were gouged out.
The killing outraged India following which external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s meeting with her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on the sidelines of the UN general assembly session in New York last month, was called off.
However, the Pakistani Army has suffered more than 138 fatal casualties in Poonch sector in 2017 and half that number till May 2018 when they requested ceasefire.
Meanwhile, a lieutenant colonel and a havildar were injured when they inadvertently stepped on a landmine in KG sector on Sunday. They were immediately rushed to garrison hospital and are stated to be out of danger.