It may be mentioned here that six civilians were killed and over a dozen others were injured, some of them seriously, in the unprovoked and prolonged firing by Pakistan troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.
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The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire in Thathi Khurd village in Charwah sector, killing Muhammad Sharif on the spot. Shelling was heard in the early morning hours in RS Pora sector after unprovoked firing by Pakistan rangers, which started at 10 pm last night and continue overnight.
India and Pakistan have been trading charges on ceasefire violations that have resulted in the death of defence personnel and also led to the loss of civilian lives.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned an Indian diplomat to lodge a protest against what it called the “unprovoked cease-fire violations” by Indian troop in Kashmir.
Pakistan violated the ceasefire 192 times along the worldwide Border in Jammu and Kashmir till July 26, government had told Lok Sabha. Heavy firing and shelling in Poonch Sector is continuing since midnight.
Firing and shelling between troops has occurred on an nearly daily basis for the past week along the border, after an uptick in such incidents in recent months.
A recent escalation along the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region and along the Working Boundary has caused civilian casualties on both sides.
Basit was summoned even as the two countries gear up for their firstever NSA-level talks in Delhi on terrorism-related issues on August 23.
There have been 47 violations of the border ceasefire agreement of 2003 by Pakistan in August and over 240 ceasefire violations during the year so far.
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On August 14, Pakistan troops had resorted to firing with automatic weapons and 82 mm mortar bombs on forward posts and civilian areas in Shahpur Kerni belt of Poonch district. He said heavy firing was continuing from both sides and the people have been advised to remain in their houses.
