Tension prevailed along the border in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday as Pakistani troops continued to violate the ceasefire agreement, targeting 40 Indian outposts and injuring nine civilians.
The BSF said Pakistani Rangers fired shells in the Balnoi sector in Poonch even as officers of the Directorate-General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan spoke to each other in the morning but failed to resolve the issue. Army sources said the two sides traded charges, accusing each other of violating the ceasefire which came into force in 2003.
In a deviation from normal practice, instead of DGMOs — a Lt-General from the Indian Army and a Major-General from the Pakistani side — lower-rank officers talked over the hotline for a few minutes.
Army sources said Indian forces would give a fitting reply to the Pakistani firing. “Our response will be in equal and effective measure,” the sources said.
Both BSF chief D.K. Pathak and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited areas near Jammu to assess the damage caused by the shelling.
Pakistan blamed India for carrying out heavy shelling over the past “seven days.” In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz said the firing had continued “in complete disregard” of the Eid holidays, claiming that “the Indian government has not been able to restrain its forces despite strong diplomatic protest by Pakistan.”
Sources in the Indian defence establishment rejected Pakistan’s claims, saying it was Pakistan that had resorted to shelling on at least 40 border posts and 25 border villages at the LoC and along the IB in the Jammu sector, injuring nine persons since Monday night.
Sources said the BSF has also submitted a report to the Home Ministry, stating that Pakistani’s attempts to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir were clear.
“After the last flag meeting (in August), we were exercising restraint. However, the Pakistani Rangers started targeting our civilians during the festival season. They resorted to heavy firing and shelling in the Akhnoor, Arnia, Mendhar and R.S. Pura sectors,” a senior Home Ministry official said. At least five civilians were killed in Arnia village on Monday.