Srinagar, Jan 21: The Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) overnight in the Keran sector of J&K’s Kupwara district, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday when Rashtriya Rifles soldiers came under attack.
“The incident occurred when troops from the 6 Rashtriya Rifles were setting up high-tech surveillance cameras in the Keran Bala area to strengthen border security and fill blind spots along the LoC. Pakistani troops fired two rounds of small arms to disrupt the installation of surveillance cameras,” an official said.
“In response, Indian forces fired a single calibrated shot. No casualties were reported from either side in this exchange of fire,” he added,
“Following the skirmish, the Indian Army launched a cordon and search operation in the dense forest area, as the army suspects that the fire could have been a diversion for an infiltration bid”, officials said.
Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers have been violating the ceasefire on the LoC and the international border (IB) in J&K either to facilitate infiltration of terrorists into the Union Territory or disrupt installation of surveillance equipment along the border.
J&K has a 740-km-long LoC in Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora districts of the Kashmir Valley and in Poonch, Rajouri and partly in the Jammu district of the Jammu division.
The 240-km-long IB is situated in the Samba, Kathua, and Jammu districts of the Jammu division.
The LoC is guarded by the army, while the IB is guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF).
The duties of the deployed army and the BSF include anti-infiltration operations, checking of trans border smuggling and drone activities initiated from the Pakistani side of the border.
J&K Police and the other security forces carry out anti-terrorist operations in the hinterland. These operations are aimed at terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.–(IANS)
