J&K: Guns fall silent along Indo-Pak border on Independence Day

Jammu: After a series of ceasefire violations by Pakistan troops in the past six days, guns fell silent on Friday along the Indo-Pak Border (IB) in Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. [caption id=“attachment_1666325” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] “There has been no ceasefire violation from Pakistani side today. Guns have fallen silent after our strong retaliation and befitting reply,” a Defence spokesman said in Jammu. A BSF officer also said that there was no ceasefire violation by Pak Rangers along IB in Jammu frontier today. Pakistan violated ceasefire thrice in 21 hours along Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, forcing army to give a befitting reply. The last ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops took place when they resorted to unprovoked small arms and automatic weapons firing on Indian posts along LoC in Hamirpur sector of Poonch district yesterday," he said. They also violated ceasefire in Balakote (Mendhar) and Hamirpur sectors in Poonch on Thursday morning and on Wednesday night respectively. There were eight ceasefire violations by Pakistan troops in the past six days and nine in August. On August 13, Pakistani troops resorted to firing by small arms and automatic weapons on forward posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Poonch district in which one jawan was injured. The previous day, Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy firing with mortar shells, small arms and automatic weapons on five BoPs and civilian areas along the IB in Arnia-R S Pura areas in Jammu district. On August 11, two BSF jawans were among four persons injured when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing with small arms, automatic weapons and mortar shells on 10 border out posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Arnia and RS Pura belts of Jammu district. A day earlier, Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire by targeting Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control in Mendhar sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian forces to retaliate. Pakistani troops violated had violated the ceasefire on August 8 by resorting to firing on Indian Posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Poonch district. On August 5 too, there was ceasefire violation along LoC in Poonch. PTI