Meeting held to review situation along Pakistan border in J&K

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, on Tuesday reviewed the security along India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir as shelling and cross border firing by Pakistani troops killed eight civilians.

Army Chief, Gen. Dalbir Singh was also present at the meeting, which was dubbed "routine review meeting".

"The situation on the border with Pakistan and within Jammu and Kashmir was reviewed at a high-level meeting here," Home Ministry spokesperson K.S. Dhatwalia told IANS.

He said the "routine review meeting" was held to take stock of the overall situation on the International Border, the Line of Control and the Kashmir valley.

On Tuesday, heavy shelling of hamlets and military posts was witnessed in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts along the International Border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

Eight civilians, including five women, were killed and 14 others injured on Tuesday as Pakistan troopers bombarded several border areas of Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shells, triggering mass exodus from dozens of frontier villages, officials said.

The Border Security Force said it destroyed 14 Pakistan outposts in retaliation after the civilian casualties in India.

--IANS

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