Four soldiers, 3 civilians killed as Pak violates ceasefire in multiple areas in Kashmir

Defence Ministry spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia told UNI that several ammunition dumps and multiple militant launch pads have been damaged in PoK while Pak Army has also sustained heavy causality.

He told UNI that Pakistani troops fired mortar shells on Friday afternoon, targeting forward posts and civilian areas in Uri, Baramulla.

He said three Army soldiers were killed while as many were injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops.

He said Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of fire was still going on when the reports last came in.

Official sources told UNI that three civilians, including a woman, were also killed in the Pak shelling in Uri.

“The deceased have been identified as Farooqa Begum, Tahir Jalaluddin and Irshad Ahmad,” they said.

Earlier, a BSF SI, identified as Rakesh Doval, was killed while another jawan was injured in Uri.

Sources said that the number of causalities in expected to increase.

They said Pakistan troops also violated ceasefire in Gurez sector in Bandipora, triggering panic in Izmerg and Bagtore areas of the sector, which surrounded by Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) from three sides. “Five persons, including two minor girls, were injured in the shelling at Bagtore,” they said.

“Pakistani troops opened another front by resorting to unprovoked heavy shelling and firing in Tangdhar sector in frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara,” they added.

A defence ministry spokesperson said that alert troops on Friday foiled an infiltration bid by militants along the LoC in Keran sector. He said the infiltration bid was accompanied by initiation of an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC in Keran sector. “Befitting response is being given,” he said.

The ceasefire violation comes days after a BSF constable, an Army officer and two other soldiers were killed during an encounter which ensued after alert jawans foiled an infiltration bid from PoK in Machil sector in Kupwara on November 8. Three militants were also killed in the operation.

Additional Director General (ADG), BSF, Surendra Panwar earlier this week said that Pakistan troops are violating ceasefire to facilitate militants to infiltrate into Kashmir valley.

However, he said despite facing all odds, Indian troops remained on high alert along the LoC to foil any militant attempt to infiltrate into this side.

Asserting that less number of militants managed to infiltrate into this side from POK as compared to last year due to heightened vigil along the LoC, he said that only 24 to 25 ultras infiltrated into J&K in 2020.

Mr Panwar said that about 250 to 300 militants are waiting on launch pads in POK to infiltrate into this side before the routs are closed due to heavy snowfall. However, he said that the anti-infiltration grid is on high alert to foil any infiltration attempt.