India / Jawan martyred, 2 Army personnel injured as Pak violates ceasefire in J&K

Sri Nagar: An Indian Army jawan was martyred and two others, including an officer, were injured on Tuesday when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, officials had said that three Army personnel including an officer were injured in Pakistani firing.

In the afternoon hours, the Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Sunderbani sector of the district. The Indian Army retaliated befittingly. The officer, along with another soldier, is undergoing treatment at the military hospital, sources told news agency PTI.

The Centre on September 14 had said that there have been 3,186 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu region in this year (from January 1 to September 7). In addition, 242 incidents of cross-border firing have occurred along Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu region in this year (January 1 to August 31).

There have been eight fatal casualties and two non-fatal casualties of Army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir in this year (till September 7, 2020).  In addition, there have been five non-fatal casualties of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel occurred along International Border and Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Appropriate retaliation to the ceasefire violations, as required, has been carried out by Indian Army and the BSF. In addition, all the cases of ceasefire violations are taken up with Pakistan authorities through the established mechanisms of hotlines, flag meetings,  Directorate General of Military Operations talks as well as diplomatic channels between the two countries.

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said, replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha had said, ""Appropriate retaliation to the ceasefire violations, as required, has been carried out by Indian Army/BSF."

Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in the region, Pakistan has been resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push terrorists into Kashmir. The Pakistani hostilities increased after India announced its decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two union territories in August 2019. The Pakistan Army resorts to border shelling as a cover to help Pakistan-based terrorists infiltrate into Kashmir, according to Army officials.