Amidst fight against COVID-19, tensions between India, Pakistan escalate over truce violations

Even as both the nations are struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the tension between India and Pakistan escalated on Monday as they blamed each other for flouting the ceasefire along the Line of Control and killing civilians in each other’s territories.

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The Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India issued a strong démarche to the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi, protesting against the violation of ceasefire by the soldiers of the neighbouring country along the LoC in Kupwara district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, sources said.

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Three civilians, including a child and a woman, were killed when shells fired by Pakistan Army personnel and the border guards landed at Reddi Chowkibal and Tumna villages in Kupwara district of J&K.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Government too on Monday summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the High Commission of India in New Delhi, Gaurav Ahluwalia, and lodged a protest over the alleged ceasefire violation by the Indian Army soldiers along the LoC in Dhudnial, Rakhchikri, Chirikot and Baroh sectors on Sunday.

Pakistan alleged that a two-year-old boy was killed due to ceasefire violation by the soldiers and border guards of India.

Tension along the LoC between India and Pakistan escalated even as the two neighbouring nations are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virus already infected over 9000 people and killed over 300 of them in India. In Pakistan, over 5000 people were infected and over 90 of them have died so far.