Kashmir border villagers express fear over repeated Pak ceasefire violations

Villagers in India's restive Jammu and Kashmir have confirmed that Pakistan continues to violat the ceasefire, leaving them in a constant state of fear.

Pakistani troops opened fire over the weekend, and villagers from the border area of Salotri Jhalas said: "It happens every time, but our army has also given answer."

"Pakistan is not at peace and does not let us remain at peace. So, we are ready to face it, even leaving our property aside," they added.

Altaf Hussain, a villager said that the ceasefire violation began at 10 p.m. on Saturday night and ended after 2 a.m. on Sunday.

The restive region has witnessed numerous militant attacks, insurgency, and infiltration attempts from across the border in the last two decades.

"We all were hiding inside our houses. Even our army responded after two to four minutes," said Mansu Khan.

Militants often attacked security bases in Kashmir during the 1990s, when there was a full-blown insurgency against Indian rule in a region over which India and Pakistan fought two of their three wars.

The Himalayan region is one of the world's most militarised zones, with India deploying more than 1.3 million troops to quell the rebellion that triggered off in 1989.