India lodges protest with Islamabad on civilian deaths in unprovoked firing

NEW DELHI: India on Monday lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the killing of three civilians, including a minor, in unprovoked cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces, people familiar with developments said.

An eight-year-old boy and a woman were among the three killed when Pakistani troops shelled several civilian areas in Kupwara of Jammu and Kashmir Sunday. Indian Army said it had responded to ceasefire violations by targeting terror launch pads on Pakistani side.

“A strong demarche was made to the Pakistani side on killing of three Indian civilians in unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pak forces on April 12,” said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity, referring to formal diplomatic representation made to Pak side to protest the shelling.

The Indian move followed the summoning of India’s charge d’affaires in Islamabad, Gaurav Ahluwalia, to the Foreign Office to register Pakistan’s protest over what it said were ceasefire violations along the LoC in several sectors Sunday resulting in the death of a child and injuries to four civilians. New Delhi has already rejected Islamabad’s accusation, saying its troops only responded to shelling.Both sides have accused each other of violating 2003 ceasefire agreement in recent years.

PAK SHELLS FORWARD POSTS ALONG LOC, IB

Pakistan on Monday opened fire and shelled forward posts and villages along the Line of Control and International Border in Poonch and Kathua districts, drawing retaliation from Indian troops, officials said.

Pakistani Rangers also violated the ceasefire by targeting forward posts and villages in different villages of Hiranagar sector overnight. The firing started in Chandwa and adjoining areas around 9.45 pm on Sunday and continued till 4 am, officials said.