The Indian Army is retaliating strongly to Pakistani firing, a defence spokesman said (File)
The Pakistani Army today fired small arms and shelled forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district for the second day. "The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in the Krishnaghati sector along the Line of Control today," a defence spokesman said on the ceasefire violations. The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively, he said. "Firing is still on."
Yesterday, an Army jawan and a porter were killed, and six others were injured when Pakistani troops fired small arms on forward areas along the Line of Control or LoC in the sector. Pakistani troops continued small arms fire till evening yesterday also, the spokesman said.
Sepoy TK Reddy, 21, from Obulapuram village in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district and defence porter Mohd Zahir, 22, from Kalali village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district died in the firing, the spokesman said. Six other personnel, including a defence porter, were also injured.
On October 6, Pakistani troops opened fire at Baba Khori and other areas in Rajouri district, and on October 4, three Army jawans were injured in indiscriminate firing in Poonch sector.
An Army jawan was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani forces along the LoC in Poonch on October 3 and on October 2, while two minors were killed and 12 civilians were injured in cross-border shelling.
A sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan has been recorded this year, defence sources say. Pakistani troops have opened fire over 600 times till September 30, a Home Ministry official had said.