Pakistani forces violate ceasefire along LoC in J&K's Rajouri, Army officer injured

JAMMU: A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was injured on Sunday after Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire by firing at the Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. 

In a fresh incident, the Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire again at around 8 pm today by targeting the forward posts and villages in the Nowshera sector of the same district, prompting a retaliation by the Indian Army, a police spokesman said.

However, according to Army officials, there was no report of any casualty in the cross-border firing, which continued till the filing of the report.

The Pakistani troops fired at the forward posts along the LoC in the Bhawani belt of Nowshera sector in Rajouri on Saturday evening. One JCO, a subedar, was injured in the firing.

The JCO was hospitalised where his condition was reported to be stable.

Earlier, on the night of December 7, an Army jawan was injured when the Pakistan Army launched an unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatics and mortars along the LoC in Poonch sector's Digwar area.

The Indian Army had retaliated strongly and effectively, officials said.

On December 8 also, the Pakistan Army had resorted to firing and shelling in the Kalal, Laam and Jangarh sub-sectors of Nowshera sector in Rajouri district.

According to the data compiled by the Union home ministry, Pakistani forces had violated the ceasefire 724 times this year (till October) along the international border and the LoC, the highest in the last seven years.

In 2016, they had violated the ceasefire 449 times.

Twelve civilians and 17 security personnel were killed, while 79 civilians and 67 security personnel were injured in the firing from across the border this year (till October).