Ceasefire violation: 4 killed, 10 injured in Pakistan firing in Poonch and Balakot sector
Balakot: Four civilians were killed and around 10 were injured after the Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the border in Jammu and Kashmir's Balakot region on Saturday. Earlier in the afternoon, more than four civilians reported injured after the Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire.
"Fresh firing began around 3 pm and some civilians got injured, they were immediately saved by people around at the time. Then another shell fell in the village which brought on the casualties. Three people died on the spot and one died on the way to the hospital and three were critically injured," Pawan Kotwal, Divisional Commissioner of Jammu said to the media.
The condition of three civilians, who were critical after the shelling, was reported to be stable and they have been admitted to the government hospital in Jammu. The firing was reported to have stopped after 7 pm.
The dead were identified by police as Keramat Hussain, who is sarpanch of Basoni, Abdul Rahman and Mohd Amin. A large crowd which had assembled at the spot also came under Pakistani fire and at least fifteen civilians were injured, police said.
There have been 32 violations of the 2003 ceasefire accord in August till yesterday and this is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistani troops have shelled Indian posts along the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu region, an Army official said.
PRO, Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said, "Pakistani troops resorted to firing of 60 mm and 82 mm mortar shells on forward posts and civilian areas along LoC in Mandi, Hamirpur and Saujiyan sectors of Poonch from 1820 hours last evening to 0730 today".
While Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling of 60 mm mortars shells and firing from 1820 hours last evening to 2350 hours in Hamirpur sector, they also fired in Mand and Saujiyan sectors from midnight to 0300 hours and again from 0730 hours, he said.
On August 14, Pakistan troops had resorted to firing with automatic weapons and 82 mm mortar bombs on forward posts and civilian areas in Shahpur Kerni belt of Poonch district. Pakistani troops had also fired on forward posts along the LoC in Balakote belt with automatic, small arms and mortar bombs on the intervening night of 13 and 14 August.
On August 13, Pakistani troops had resorted to firing by small arms and automatic weapons on forward posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali (BG) sector of Poonch district, in which one jawan was injured.
There were four ceasefire violations in three sectors of Krishnagati, Bhimbhergali and Pallanwala in Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu districts on the intervening night of August 12-13. Last month, there were 19 ceasefire violations in which four persons, including three jawans, were killed and 14 others injured. Pakistan violated the ceasefire 192 times along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir till July 26, government had told Lok Sabha.
