J&K: Five security personnel, six civilians killed in ceasefire violations by Pakistan

Eleven people, including six civilians, four Indian Army soldiers and a Border Security Force sub inspector, were killed on Friday after Pakistani troops initiated ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, NDTV reported.

“Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC spread across multiple sectors to include Dawar [Gurez tehsil of Bandipora district], Keran [Kupwara district], Uri [Baramulla district] and Naugam [Anantnag district],” a statement from the Army said. “Pakistan deliberately targeted civilian areas.”

Baramulla Deputy Commissioner Ghulam Nabi Itoo told The Hindu that five civilians were injured in the firing. “Five injured civilians were shifted to Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences hospital,” Itoo told The Hindu.

The Indian Army said that Pakistan used mortars and other weapons to target the sectors.

The deceased BSF official has been identified as Sub Inspector Rakesh Doval, according to officials. Doval, deployed in the BSF’s artillery battery, died after sustaining injuries on his head on Friday afternoon. “The Sub Inspector [Rakesh Doval] has made supreme sacrifice in line of duty while facing heavy ceasefire violation from the enemy,” a senior BSF official said. “The sub-officer was a resident of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and joined the border force in 2004. Doval is survived by his father, wife and a nine-year-old daughter, the officer said.

Two civilians were killed in the Kamalkote sector, and a woman died in the Balkote area in the Haji Peer sector in Baramulla. The two sectors are in Uri division of the Baramulla district. Several others were injured in the mortar shelling. In North Kashmir’s Bandipora, five civilians were reportedly injured after shelling hit Bagtore sector in Gurez. But they are now in a stable condition, The Hindu reported, citing an unidentified official.

At least three local residents were injured in the Sawjian Sector in the Pir Panjal’s Poonch due to the ceasefire violations. “A bus stand was hit by the shelling, leaving the civilians injured,” an unidentified official in Poonch told the newspaper.

An officer also said that almost all the BSF units along the Line of Control were under heavy firing since morning. The troops, artillery regiment and support weapons have been mounted for retaliation, he added.

Meanwhile, around 10 to 12 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were killed in retaliatory firing, ANI reported, citing sources in the Indian Army. “Ten to 12 Pakistan Army soldiers injured in the Indian Army firing in which a large number of Pakistan Army bunkers, fuel dumps, and launch pads have also been destroyed,” the source in the Army told the news agency. However, there have been no official confirmation on casualties of troops on the other side.

Spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces tweeted a statement on Friday morning. “Indian Army troops CFV in Rakhchikri and Khanjar Sectors along LOC targeting civil population with rockets and mortars in Tari Band and Samahni villages,” the tweet read. “One citizen embraced shahadat [killed], three civilians including two women got injured. Pakistan Army responded effectively targeting Indian Army posts.”

Several videos, released by the Indian Army, showed multiple Pakistani posts being hit, reported NDTV. Some of the rockets and missiles supposedly hit Pakistani ammunition and fuel stocks.

Infiltration bid foiled, says Army

A defence spokesperson said the Army foiled an infiltration bid amid the ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in the Keran sector.

“Suspicious movement was observed by our troops at the forward posts along the LoC in Keran sector [in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district] today,” defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. “The suspected infiltration bid was foiled by alert troops.”

This was the second infiltration attempt within a week. Earlier, an unsuccessful attempt was made in in Machil sector during the intervening night of November 7- 8. Three militants were killed during the incident.

Ceasefire violations

On October 1, three soldiers were killed and five injured in two separate incidents of heavy shelling along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

On September 15, Pakistani troops fired with small arms and shelled mortars along the Line of Control in Rajouri district, killing an Indian soldier and wounding two, including an officer. The injured soldiers were admitted to a military hospital.

An Indian Army officer was killed on September 2 at Keri area of the Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district in alleged ceasefire violations along the Line of Control on August 30. Another army soldier was killed in firing by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control in Rajouri district on July 31.

Earlier this October, a 60-year-old woman was killed and another was critically injured in cross-border firing in Poonch. In June, a soldier was killed as Pakistani troops fired at forward posts along the Line of Control in Rajouri.