Pakistan resumes firing, shelling along LoC, border

After a day's lull, the Pakistani Army Saturday resumed unprovoked firing at Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, while Pakistan Rangers started heavy shelling across the international border in Jammu district, officials said.

"Pakistan Rangers started heavy mortar shelling in R.S.Pura sector of Jammu district this evening," a senior police officer told IANS.

He said the shelling and firing with automatic weapons started around 9 p.m. and the Border Security Force (BSF) has "also started effective retaliation".

Reports from Arnia sub-sector of R.S.Pura said 20 mortar shells had fallen in the area and exploded with deafening sounds.

Mortar shells fired from Pakistan side have also fallen near Rathana Bridge in Arnia which is five km away from the international border.

Earlier, official said Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire in Shahpur Kerni sector of the LoC in Poonch district Saturday afternoon.

A police official said that Pakistani army used automatic weapons to target Indian positions, with firing starting at 12.45 p.m. and continuing for two hours. Indian troops had retaliated.

There had been silence on the LoC and the international border for two days but broken by the firing in Poonch and now Jammu district.

Eight civilians have been killed in unprecedented peace time mortar shelling by Pakistan on the international border and the LoC in the Jammu region since Oct 6, while over 60 have been injured.

More than 30,000 residents of border villages in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts are living in relief camps since Pakistan started unprecedented peace-time targeting of civilian habitations near the international border on Oct 6.