Pakistan’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has said the Directors-General of Military Operations “of both countries should meet immediately and discuss ways to stop the current spate of firing along the working boundary and Pakistan is also sending a proposal to India for the meeting.”
Mr Aziz’s statement came on Saturday even as India and Pakistan accused each other of violating the ceasefire, claiming two deaths each in the latest round of intensified firing across the Line of Control.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Visakhapatnam after the commissioning of INS Kamorta, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said while incidents of ceasefire violations had increased, “let everybody be assured that both our Army and the BSF, who are respectively guarding the LoC and the International Border, are fully vigilant. They effectively respond to each violation and I have full faith and the country must have full faith that they are effectively protecting both our territory and national interest.”
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According to Indian security forces, Pakistani troops opened fire on 22 border outposts and 13 villages around midnight.
The BSF retaliated and the exchange of fire with Pakistan Rangers continued till 7 a.m. A BSF jawan was among the six injured.
In view of the latest ceasefire violation, 3,000 people from eight villages in the border areas of Arnia, R.S. Pura and Hamirpur sub-sectors of Poonch have been evacuated.
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On Friday night, security forces had found a cross-border tunnel near Akhnoor, which they think was big enough for terrorists to sneak into Indian territory from the Pakistani side.