India, Pakistan DGMO officials blame each other for ceasefire violations

New Delhi: Amid escalation of cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir, top military officials of India and Pakistan today discussed the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and International Border but failed to address the issue. Officials of the Directorate Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) talked over hotline for five minutes during which both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire, Army sources said in New Delhi.[caption id=“attachment_1746081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  An injured child being treated at the Government Medical College Hospital after firing from the Pakistani side injured him in Jammu on Tuesday. PTI [/caption] They said the telephonic talk did not take place between the Director Generals of Military Operations — Lt General rank officer from Indian side and Maj General rank officer from Pakistani side — but lower rank officials, in deviation from the regular practice. Six persons were killed and 50 others including BSF jawan injured in Pakistani shelling and firing along LoC and IB in Jammu and Poonch districts in the ceasefire violations this month. The Indian side is giving a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan, the army sources said. The sources said there have been 125 incidents of ceasefire violation along the LoC and the International Border and 17 terrorists have been killed by the Indian security forces while they were trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory. In August, after the interaction between the DGMOs, the two sides had agreed to hold flag meetings at Army and BSF levels to defuse situation at LoC and the International Border. On 6 October, Pakistan had violated the ceasefire thrice in Bhimber Gali, Kerni and Balakote-Mankote in Poonch district of Jammu region. On 5 October, there were two ceasefire violations. Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by resorting to heavy firing and shelling in Arnia belt along IB in Jammu in which five persons were killed and 34 others were injured. There was another ceasefire violation during the day when Pakistani troops targeted forward India posts along LoC in Balnoie sub-sector of Poonch district. On 4 October, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling along LoC in in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, drawing equal retaliation from the Army. On 1 and 2 October, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire twice along the LoC in Poonch district resulting in injuries to six persons. PTI