Five hurt, fuel dump damaged as Pak rains mortar shells in Poonch
EXCHANGE OF FIRE Pakistan violates 13-year-old ceasefire five times in 24 hours
Five people, including a police officer, were injured and a defence fuel dump caught fire on Monday as Pakistan opened fire and rained mortar shells on villages and Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector.
With India hitting back, the exchange of fire was on when the reports last came in. In the past 24 hours, Pakistan has violated the 13-year-old ceasefire five times, taking to 10 the number of violations following India’s September 29 “surgical strikes” across the LoC.
The boundary wall and a bunker of a camp shared by the army and Border Security Force (BSF) were damaged when shells fired by Pakistani side hit kerosene barrels and started a fire at Gali Maidan in Saujian sector.
“A bunker and boundary wall were damaged partially but there was no loss of life. Everyone is safe,” a BSF officer said.
The camp, which is barely 3km from the LoC, provides supplies to soldiers posted along the de facto border and was on the radar of Pakistani troops.
Poonch because of its topography is vulnerable to infiltration. Pakistan often pushes militants providing them cover fire.
The Centre had after the LoC raid asked Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab to move people living close to Pakistan frontier to safer locations.
Pakistan fired at posts along the LoC in Shahpur Kerni sector at around 11am, defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said. They fired 120mm, 80mm mortar bombs, automatic weapons and small arms, he said, adding the exchange was on.
Two hours later, they targeted posts in Mandi and Saujian sectors, Mehta said.
Two people were wounded in Qasba village and three in Gagrian, including special police officer Shah Begum. The injured have been moved to hospitals.
Another defence source said Pakistan on Sunday night fired at Kranti post.
“They had opened fire at Indian post Kranti and we retaliated stingingly at their Roza post on their side of the LoC,” a defence source said.