Indian forces Sunday (today) again opened unprovoked firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in Battal sector of Rawlakot district.
According to the military’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR),“Pakistani troops befittingly responding to Indian fire. Exchange of fire continues.”
However, no loss of life has been reported yet from either side.
Pakistan army gave a befitting response to Indian firing which continued for several hours.
Earlier, in another incident on Friday, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling at the Working Boundary in Shakargarh sector, north of Chak Amroo village.
Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad for a raid on an army base in September that killed 19 soldiers. Pakistan denies the charge.
The cross-LoC shelling on Monday was one of the deadliest this year as India committed a series of ceasefire violations in the wake of heightened tensions over the ongoing unrest in India-held Kashmir.
It is pertinent to mention here that India has violated the ceasefire for more than 100 times in the ongoing year.
-India committed 178 ceasefire violations in 2016-
Indian forces committed 178 ceasefire violations along the LoC and Working Boundary this year, killing 19 civilians and injuring 80 others, the ISPR said.
Tensions were already high before the army base attack over the July 8 death of a popular militant leader, with nearly 90 people killed in clashes with security forces in Indian-held Kashmir since then.
Last week the Modi government said it was expelling a Pakistani visa official for suspected spying, with Islamabad responding by sending back an Indian diplomat in an apparent tit-for-tat move.
Read more: Pakistan asks India to stop targeting civilians along LoC, Working Boundary
