J&K: Pak violates ceasefire again, fires at 10 posts

Mangaloretoday/CNN/IBN

Srinagar, Aug 11, 2013: Pakistan on Sunday violated ceasefire for the second time in a day. Firing was reported from Mendhar sector in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani side fired at 10 army posts including Langot, Forward Balakot and Dera Basi were attacked. Firing began at 11:30 am and is still on

There have been no reports of any casualties from either side. Pakistani media has been quoting military officials which said that there was unprovoked firing by Indian BSF personnel in the Sialkot sector.

 

Indian Army said, "There was a ceasefire violation in Mendhar Sector of Jammu and Kashmir from 11:30 AM today. Firing is still in progress."

On ceasefire violation, BJP President Rajnath Singh said that the Prime Minister should announce that there will be no talks with Pakistan. "In 48 hours, Pakistan has violated ceasefire 3 times. Indo-Pak diplomatic relations should be scaled down," he said.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said Pakistan has always been like this. "I had hoped that with the new Govt and under a new Prime Minister Pakistan would change for the better, but they are still up to their old tactics," he said.

On Poonch firing, the BJP chief said it is time to give befitting response to Pakistan. "How long will we keep talking to them? Two of our soldiers were killed in January this year. One of them were beheaded. It’s time to give them a befitting response. The Indian High Commissioner should be called back. The Prime Minister should say that we are not going to talk to Pakistan prime Minister Nawaz Sharif."

Earlier in the day, firing was reported from the Pakistani side along the Line of Control (LOC) at the international border at Kanachak sector near Jammu. Pakistan targetted two posts of Border and Security Forces (BSF) in which one of its personnel was injured. The injured BSF personnel was shifted to Jammu Medical college.

The incident took place just a day after when Pakistan fired over 7,000 rounds of heavy ammunition besides mortar shells on Indian posts during the seven-and-a-half-hour firing in Poonch on late Friday night.

After a number of ceasefire violations from Pakistan’s side in the recent past, the Indian Army had asked its troops, especially those who are manning the LoC to be extremely vigilant. The soldiers had been told about certain dos and don’ts.

Sunday’s ceasefire also came four days after heavily armed terrorists backed by Pakistani SSG ambushed an Indian Army patrol in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, killing five soldiers on Tuesday and triggering angry reactions in New Delhi.

Sources had told CNN-IBN that Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan were unlikely to be held in September even though talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif at the UNGA have still not been ruled out after cases of ceasefire violations by the Pakistan.