Pak troops shell villages, forward posts along LoC, IB in Poonch and Kathua

Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Kathua districts in violation of the ceasefire, officials said on Saturday.

Mortar shelling in the Mankote sector along the LoC in Poonch started around 2.30 am, while the cross-border firing along the IB in the Hiranagar sector continued throughout the night, the officials said.

They said there was no report of any casualty or damage on the Indian side.

"At about 2:30 am, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling mortars along the LoC in Mankote sector. Army retaliated befittingly, a defence spokesman said.

The officials said the firing and shelling between the two sides stopped around 4 am.

Pakistani Rangers started the firing on border outposts in Karol Krishna, Satpal and Gurnam around 10 pm on Friday, prompting strong retaliation by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel guarding the border, the officials said.

The exchange of fire between the two sides continued till 5.10 am, they said, adding the Pakistani firing caused panic among the border residents who were forced to spend the night in underground bunkers.