Indian
Express: Jammu: Wednesday, May 17, 2017.
Pakistan Rangers violated the ceasefire again
today by firing on forward posts along the LoC in Balakote sector of Jammu of
Kashmir.
"Pakistan army resorted to firing on forward
posts along the LoC in Balakote sector from 0050 hours today," a defence
spokesman said.
Pakistan
troops also fired on forward posts and civilian areas last night along the LoC
in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. The firing continued till 0130 hours,
the spokesman said.
He said the
Pakistan army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatic weapons
and 82 mm and 120 mm mortars from 1830 hours last night along the LoC in
Nowshera sector. The firing continued till 2100 hours yesterday.
The Pakistan
Rangers fired shells on the intervening night of May 15 and 16 on forward areas
and civilian belts along the LoC in three belts of Rajouri district.
The firing
and shelling from across the border has affected over 10,000 people.
Civilian
areas along the LoC in Nowshera sector were pounded with mortars, killing two
civilians and injuring three others.
On May 13,
Pakistani troops had pounded civilian areas and forward posts in Nowshera area
with mortars, killing two civilians and injuring three.
On May 15,
Pak troops resorted to fresh ceasefire violation along the LoC in Nowshera
sector since 1600 hours till late night. Four villages in Nowshera have come
under small arms fire from across the LOC in Nowshera.
"Shelling
started in Ans Bhandhaar areas of Nowshera in Rajouri at 2255 hours night of
May 15 and 16. Lam and Kalsian areas were also affected," Rajouri Deputy
Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.
"Interdepartmental
teams deputed by District Administration for damage assessment reported small
arms firing begins at 4 PM on May 15 in village Sarya followed by villages
Khamba, Anwas and Bhandar," Choudhary said.
Nearly 1700
people have already been evacuated from the LoC hamlets hit by shelling from
Pakistani side and shifted to relief camps.
Around 10,042
people from over 2,694 families have been affected by the continued shelling
from across the border, the DC said.
The district
administration has provided an immediate relief of Rs 1 lakh each to the next
of kin of the dead and financial assistance to the injured, he said.
Choudhary
said the administration is prepared to make more relief camps as more than 25
buildings have been earmarked.
He added that
students' classes will be resumed this week to ensure that education doesn't
suffer.
"Six
ambulances have been pressed into action for shifting of injured and treatment.
One mobile medical unit was stationed at Nowshera and another deputed to
forward areas," he said.
According to
a Home Ministry reply to an RTI, Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line
of Control (LoC) 449 times in 2016 as compared to 405 violations in 2015. 23
security personnel were killed in the two-year period.