Pakistan on Wednesday violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. At around 7.15 pm, the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing in Kirni and Qasba sectors in the district.
Pakistan fired with small arms and continued shelling with mortars in the two sectors. The Indian Army has been retaliating befittingly.
On July 17, at least three civilians were killed when Pakistan violated ceasefire in Poonch district. At about 9.20 pm, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars in Khari-Karmara village in Gulpur sector of the district.
During the firing by the Pakistan Army, a shell landed on the house of a civilian Mohd Rafiq, a resident of Karmara village in which Rafiq (58), his wife Rafia Bi (50) and son Irfan (15) died on the spot. Another family member was injured and has been taken to a hospital for treatment, amid heavy shelling in the area.
The Indian Army retaliated befittingly. Officials said that Pakistan heavily shelled Khari Karmara village and one of the 120 mm mortar shelling hit a residential house in the village. “In the incident, their teenage son Irfan Ahmad also got killed,” added an official. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Poonch, Rahul Yadav confirmed that three persons were killed and another one injured in the cross-border shelling.
On July 19, India summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission, Syed Haider Shah, and lodged a strong protest over the killing of the three innocent civilians.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India strongly condemned the Pakistani action. "Charge d`Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission was summoned today and a strong protest lodged on the death of three innocent civilians... India condemns, in the strongest terms, the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Pakistan forces," the MEA had said in a statement.
"India also protested Pakistan's continued support to cross border terrorist infiltration into India, including supporting cover fire provided by Pakistani forces," it had said in a statement.
The MEA had said Pakistan was called upon to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire understanding for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control and the International Boundary. In 2020, 21 Indians have been killed and 94 injured in over 2,711 unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces, according to the MEA.
