Pakistan again violates ceasefire, heavy shelling in Rajouri, Akhnoor

January 21, 2018 07:59 pm | Updated 07:59 pm IST - Jammu

An Army soldier is seen near the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. File

An Army soldier is seen near the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. File

Pakistan troops violated ceasefire for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday by resorting to heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Noushera, Rajouri and Akhnoor sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, an Army jawan, injured in Pakistani shelling, succumbed to injuries on Saturday night, raising the death toll in the border firing since Thursday to 11, police said.

“Pakistan has resumed heavy shelling along LoC in Bhawani, Karali, Said, Numb and Sher Makri areas of Rajouri district this evening,” DC (Rajouri) Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.

In Akhnoor, Pakistan resorted to firing along the LoC, police officials said. Indian troops were retaliating, they said.

Sepoy C.K. Roy, posted in a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was injured in Pakistani firing on January 20 and succumbed to injuries at a military hospital on Saturday night, a police official said.

His death raised the number of persons killed in the Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in the five districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri since Thursday to 11.

The dead include six civilians, three Armymen and two BSF personnel.

A BSF jawan and a teenaged girl were killed on Thursday while four persons — two civilians and a BSF and an Army jawan — were killed and over 40 others, including two BSF personnel, injured in the Pakistani firing on January 19.

Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations on January 20.

There was no report of firing by Pakistan along the international border in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts on Saturday night, BSF and police officials said.

“The International Border was almost calm except a few rounds of shelling in Arnia sector last night,” a BSF spokesman said.

He said the firing from across the border stopped in Samba and Kathua districts in the afternoon but intermittently went on in some areas of Jammu district.

The last few mortar shells landed in Arnia sector around 10 p.m. on January 20 without causing any damage. There was no report of Pakistani firing from anywhere during the night, he said.

A police official said barring Shahpur sector, the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri also remained calm as there was no major ceasefire violation by Pakistan since Saturday evening till Sunday evening.

Small arms firing from across the border was, however, reported from Shahpur sector of Poonch for a few hours till 4 a.m., but there was no casualty, he said.

He said the authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation and rushed police teams to affected areas to ensure prompt assistance to the people.

People were asked to stay indoors and not to touch any suspicious object as it could be an unexploded mortar shell, he said. The firing has forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

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