J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in 3 sectors along LoC, IB

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing and mortar shelling in three sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday.

The Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) retaliated effectively, they said.

"At about 6.30 pm (on Saturday), Pakistan initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling mortars along the LoC in the Degwar sector in Poonch district,” a defence spokesman said.

He said the Indian Army retaliated befittingly and the cross-border shelling between the two sides was going on when last reports were received.

Pakistani Rangers also fired on forward posts and villages in Rajpurian in the Ghagwal sector of Samba district and Faqeera and Manyari in the Hiranagar sector along the IB in Kathua district, a police official said.

He said firing from across the border in Rajpurian started around 2 am.

The exchange of fire between Pakistani Rangers and the BSF continued till 3.45 am, the spokesman said.

In Kathua district, Pakistani Rangers resorted to firing around 10.30 pm on Friday which continued till 4.30 am, he said.

However, there was no report of any casualty on the Indian side in the firing from across the border, the officials said.