United News of India
Srinagar, Apr 14: An eerie silence prevailed along the Line of Control (LoC) as Pakistani mortar guns remained quiet during the last 48 hours in north Kashmir, where ceasefire violation from the other side has forced some residents of frontier villages to flee to safer places.
Three civilians, including a woman and child, were killed on Sunday when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked heavy shelling and firing from across the LoC in frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara. This was first time that civilians were killed during Pakistani shelling deep inside Kupwara.
Despite Pakistani guns fell silent since Sunday afternoon, people are reluctant to go back to their homes. Meanwhile, the residents of affected areas, who didn’t leave, are praying for peace and demanded construction of bunkers.
The villagers said that it was the heaviest shelling by Pak troops in the area since ceasefire agreed by India and Pakistan in 2003 on LoC and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir. “This was the first time that shells have fallen deep inside Kupwara villages,” they said.
Five heavily-armed militants and as many soldiers were killed in an encounter which ensued after alert troops foiled a major infiltration bid from PaK in Keran sector on April 5.
Official sources said that Pakistan troops are violating ceasefire to facilitate militants to infiltrate into Kashmir valley. “A large number of militants are waiting at launch pads in Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) to sneak into this side,” they said.
However, they said despite facing all odds, Indian troops remained on high alert along the Line of Control (LoC) to foil any militant attempt to infiltrate into this side.
