Pakistani fighter jets detected close to LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch; Indian air defences on high alert

In yet another provocation from Pakistan, Indian air defence radars had on Tuesday detected two Pakistani Air Force jets close to Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector, according to government sources. According to ANI, Indian radars detected the two fighter aircraft go supersonic, 10 km from the LoC.

Indian air defence radars detected two Pakistani Air Force jets go supersonic 10KM from LoC (within their territory) in the Poonch sector, loud bangs heard last night in the area were due to sonic booms. All Indian air defences and radar systems are on high alert pic.twitter.com/PHmKAuPtvc

— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2019

“Loud bangs heard last night in the area were due to sonic booms,” sources said. The sources said all Indian air defences and radar systems have been put on high alert following the incident. [caption id=“attachment_4350661” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. PTI.[/caption] On Wednesday, the cross-LoC trade was suspended after Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the LoC by resorting to unprovoked mortar shelling and small arms firing in Poonch. “Five mortar shells hit the trade facilitation centre at Chakan-da-Bagh, damaging a few sheds, including the one housing the X-ray scanner,” custodian of LoC trade centre, Poonch, Fareed Kohli told PTI. According to Kohli, the shelling took place around 12.30 pm, when the process of scanning of the trucks was almost complete. “There were no casualties, but the shelling caused panic among those present at the centre,” he said, adding that the main building remained safe. However, officials said the shelling started in Krishna Ghati sector around 10.30 am and later spread to Poonch sector. “The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively,” they said, adding that the shelling was continuing when last reports were received. The cross-LoC trade between Poonch on this side and Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which started in October 2008, takes place from Tuesday to Friday every week on barter system. The latest ceasefire violation comes after a two-day lull in the cross-border skirmishes which had witnessed a spurt after India’s pre-emptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot and three other locations on 26 February. The strike followed the 14  February Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack. With inputs from PTI