Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the Indian Army was giving a befitting reply to such ceasefire violations

NEW DELHI: A day after a jawan was killed in firing by Pakistani troops, defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the Indian Army was giving a befitting reply to such ceasefire violations.

“Ceasefire violations have taken place in hundreds for the last five-six years…Check out the figures. The only difference is that if they do it now, we give a befitting reply,” he said.

An Indian Army jawan was on Sunday killed as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire twice along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.

The ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place on a day when India hosted leaders of a number of countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, for BRICS and BIMSTEC Summits.

The area in which incident took place falls in Tarkundi belt of Rajouri district.
Sepoy Sudeesh Kumar (24), hailing from Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, was killed when Pakistani Army started indiscriminate and unprovoked firing on Indian Army posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajauri sector, a defence spokesman said.

Earlier in the morning too, there was unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops who used small arms to target Indian forward areas in Naushera sector of the same district along the LoC, Defence PRO said.

Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated, he said, adding no one was injured in that exchange.

A senior Army officer said there have been over 25 ceasefire violations along the LoC since the surgical strikes by Indian Army in PoK on September 29 to dismantle terror launching pads.

In the firing and shelling, five civilians and four armymen have sustained injuries in Poonch district.

Nine Pakistani armymen have been injured in retaliatory action by Indian troops along LoC.

On October 8, Pakistani troops had fired on forward Indian posts along Mendhar-Krishnagati sector in Pooch district resulting in injuries to one jawan.

On October 5, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire thrice and resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling targeting several Indian posts and civilian areas in three sectors of Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Pakistani troops had on October 4 targeted 10 forward areas with mortar shelling and firing with five ceasefire violations on Indian posts and civilian areas along LoC in four areas of Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts.

They fired mortar bombs and used small and automatic weapons in Jhangar, Kalsian, Makri in Noushera sector of Rajouri district and Gigriyal, Platan, Damanu, Channi and Palanwala areas of Pallanwala sector of Jammu district and Balnoi, Krishnagati in Poonch district.

Pakistani troops had on October 3 violated the ceasefire four times and resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling in Saujian, Shahpur-Kerni, Mandi and KG sectors in Poonch district.

On October 2, Pakistan resorted to firing and shelling from 1915 hours along LoC in forward areas in Pallanwala belt of Jammu district.

On October 1, Pakistani troops had shelled Indian posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs, RPGS and HMGS amid small arms firing along LoC in Pallanwala sector in Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu district.

On September 30, Pakistani troops restored to small arms firing along the LoC in Pallanwala, Chaprial, Samnam areas of Akhnoor sector of Jammu district.

Bureau Report