LoC heats up again; 2 killed, 4 hurt in PoK

The Indian and Pakistani troops on Friday once again traded fire along the Line of Control ( LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving at least two civilians dead and four others wounded.

While the Army sources in Jammu said that the Pakistani troops resorted to “unprovoked” firing on the forward Indian positions and civilian areas in Poonch area of the LoC, the authorities in Muzaffarabad claimed that firing and shelling were actually initiated by the Indian and that two civilians were killed on their side of the de facto border. “Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control ( LoC),” a senior Army officer said on Friday.

Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing is still on, he said.

In another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired on forward posts along the LoC in Khour belt of Akhnoor sector Thursday night to Indian troops gave a befitting reply, the officer said. An Army jawan sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire, he said.

In counter charge, the PoK officials said that the Indian troops targeted the civilian areas in district Rawlakote with small arms and mortars on Friday morning. “A 55year- old woman was killed

and another elderly person was wounded in Troti village in Abbaspur sector in Rawalakot district,” Tahir Mumtaz, the DC of Rawlakote, told reporters. He said that yet another civilian was killed and three women were injured in Neza Pir sector of the LoC when mortar shells fired by the Indian troops hit their houses.