Pakistan violates ceasefire in Rajouri, 1500 shifted to safer areas

Pakistan violated the ceasefire for the third consecutive day today by firing small arms on forward posts and four hamlets in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district even as authorities shifted more than 1,500 border dwellers to safer areas.

"There was fresh ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district. They resorted to small arms firing on forward areas and four hamlets since 1600 hours today," Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Shahid Iqbal Choudhary told PTI.

He said intermittent firing was reported in the villages of Sarya, Khamba, Anwas and Bhandar.

"More than 1,500 people have been shifted from the shelling-hit LoC hamlets to relief camps. SDM, Nowshera, Harbans and local police officers rushed to Kalsian to coordinate with assessment teams," he said.

The Pakistani troops had yesterday shelled mortars on civilian areas and Indian army posts along the Line of Control in Nowshera and Manjakote sectors in the district, affecting over 10,000 people.

They had on Saturday pounded civilian areas and forward posts along the LoC in Nowshera area with mortar shells, killing two persons and injuring three.

Fifty-one schools in the area have been closed for an indefinite period, while 36 in Manjakote and Doongi zones have been closed for three days due to the shelling by Pakistan.

Warning Pakistan of a fierce retaliation to any mischief being engineered from its soil, Union minister Jitendra Singh had yesterday said the Indian Army is giving a befitting reply to Pakistani ceasefire violations.