India’s Retaliatory Firing Along LoC Kills 6-7 Pakistani Soldiers

Picture courtesy: The Times of India

New Delhi/Srinagar: India’s retaliatory punitive fire assaults against posts, bunkers and fuel dumps across the Line of Control in Kashmir, killed six to seven Pakistani soldiers while leaving several injured on Friday, reported The Times of India. Five Indian soldiers and four civilians, including a woman, were killed in cross-border firing earlier in the day.

This escalation came in the midst of ongoing border confrontations with China in the eastern Ladakh and is a reminder of India’s double threat from two nuclear-armed neighbours.

As many as 4,052 ceasefire violations (CFVs) by Pakistan were recorded this year, which broke all records over the last 17 years. India has witnessed deaths of around 20 soldiers and an equal number of civilians in the violations this year.

According to Indian Army officers, Pakistan initiated “unprovoked” CFVs accompanied by heavy mortars and other weapons spread across multiple sectors along the 778-km long LoC. This included Baramulla, Dawar, Keran, Uri and Naugam, following a major infiltration bid that was foiled in the Keran sector of Kupwara district on Friday morning.

“Pakistan deliberately targeted our civilian areas. Our troops retaliated strongly and hit them very hard, causing substantial damage to Pakistan Army’s infrastructure across the LoC. Several ammunition and FOL (fuels, oils and lubricants) dumps and multiple terrorists launch pads were damaged in our retaliatory strikes,” a senior officer was quoted as saying by The Times of India.