A civilian was killed and four others, including a BSF jawan, were injured when the Pakistan Army targeted forward areasalong the Line of Control in Rajouri and Pooch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting retaliation by the Indian troops.
Five Pakistan soldiers were reported to have been killed whilesome others were injured in the Indian Army's retaliatory action along the Nowshera and Krishnagati sectors.
The civilian who got killed in the Pakistani offensive was working as a labourer withthe General Engineering Reserve Force (GREF). Pakistani troops targeted Indian posts in four sectors with mortar bombs and firing with automatic weapons .
Entire top brass of Indian Army headed by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and the sevencommanders, including all corps commanders of J-K, held a meeting inSrinagar today to review the situation.
"One civil GREF labour was martyred, and one GREF driver injured in ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops. One head constable ofBSF suffered splinter injuries in Krishnagati sector. He is outof danger," Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said.
As per some reports, two more people associated with the GREF were injured.
"Pakistan Army resorted to mortar shelling and firing on forward posts along the LoC in Nowshera sector in Rajouri district from0730 hours today and in Krishnagati sector of Poonch district from0740 hours today," he said.
The reports said there has been firing along the LoC in Balnoi andMankote sectors too.
"The Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively and firing is presently on," he said.
The spokesman added that firingexchange was on Pakistan Army resorted to indiscriminate firing ofsmall arms, automatic weapons and 82 mm and 120 mm mortars in these sectors.
The firing and shelling stopped at 0900 hours in Nowshera sector and at 1300 hours in KG sector, he said.
As per the sources a mortar shell hit a vehicle of the GREF in KG sector during shelling which resulted in the death of oneGREF labourer and injuries to the others and a BSF jawan was injured ina separate firing incident.
On the reports of killing of five Pakistani soldiers in retaliationby Indian army, the Defence spokesman said he had no such input.
A top Army officer also said he had no such inputs.
On May 17, the Pakistan Army had resorted tofiring on forward posts along the LoC in Balakote sector in Rajouri.
The Pakistan Army also continued shelling on the intervening night of May 15 and 16 on forward areas and civilian belts along the LoC inthree belts of Rajouri.
The firing and shelling by the Pakistan Army in May this year hasaffected over 12,000 people. It had on May 13 pounded civilian areas and forward posts along the LoC in Nowshera area withmortars, killing two civilians and injuring three.
On May 15, the Pakistani troops resorted to fresh ceasefire violation along the LoC in Nowshera sector since 1600 hours till latenight. Four villages in Nowshera have come under small arms fire fromacross the LOC in Nowshera.
On May 14, the Pakistani Army resorted to indiscriminatefiring of small arms, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars from 0645 hours along the LoC in Nowshera and Manjakote sectors of Rajouri.
On May 13, authorities ordered closure of 51 schools inNowshera sector and also Manjakote and Doongi zones. Two people were killed and three injured in Pakistani shelling in Nowshera sector on May 13.
On May 12, the Pakistan Rangers resorted to ceasefire violation and fired onBSF men and posts along International Border (IB) in Arnia sector ofJammu district in which one BSF man was injured.
On May 11 and 10, the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy shelling andfiring in Nowshera belt killing one woman and injuring two peopleincluding her husband.
More than 2,694 families comprising 10,042 persons have beenaffected in shelling which lead to killing of three persons, injuries to six in Pakistani shelling on May 11, 13 and 14, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.
Besides, 65 livestockwere killed and standing crops got damaged, while nearly 45 houses suffered partial to complete damages during the period, the officer said.
The district administration provided immediate relief of Rs 1lakh each to the next of kin of the dead and financial assistance tothe injured.
Overall, of the 64 villages along the LoC in Rajouri, 23 were locatedin Nowshera sub-division where eight villages were badly affected andremaining 15 villages sustained minor losses, while five villages inDoongi and nine villages in Manjakote have been affected, he added.
At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan tookplace daily along the LoC in J-K in 2015 and 2016 inwhich 23 security personnel lost their lives.
As many as 1,142 terror incidents were reported in the statebetween 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed.
Pakistan breached the truce along theLine of Control 449 times in 2016 as compared to 405 violations in2015. 23 security personnel were killed in the two-year period.
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