Pakistan violates ceasefire for 11th time in five days; one civilian injured

This resulted in heavy exchange of fire between the two sides and further escalation of tension.

In yet another ceasefire
violation along the Line
of Control, the eleventh
in past five days,
 a civilian in Poonch
 was injured in an
explosion of mortar
shell fired by Pakistani
 troops, who targeted
several Indian forward
posts and civilian areas.
This resulted in heavy
 exchange of
fire between
 the two sides and
 further escalation
of tension.
There was firing by
 Pakistani forces along
the LoC on several
Indian forward posts
 in Balakote belt of
Poonch district from 7.30 am on Thursday, officials said.
They fired automatic weapons and mortar shells, one of which resulted in injury to a
 civilian Parvaiz in Sanjote forward area.
He was admitted to a nearby hospital, and is being shifted to Government Medical College
 in Jammu, officials said.
At around 9 PM last night, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire and fired on
Indian posts along LoC in Mendhar sub-sector of Poonch district, Defence Spokesperson
S N Acharya said today.
They fired automatic weapons and medium mortar shells.
Indian troops fired back, resulting in exchanges that continued till around 11 PM,
 he said, adding that there was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing.
There were two ceasefire violations on August 13, when Pak troops targeted Narianpur
 border outpost along the international border in Samba district and 16 Indian
forward posts in Hamirpur, Balakote and Mankote forward areas in Poonch through
the night.
Before that, three ceasefire violations had taken place on August 12 when Pakistani
 troops fired on border outposts and Indian posts along Indo-Pak border in Durga
 battalion (Poonch), Kothay (Samba) and Hamirpur-Balakote forward areas.
In the early hours of the same day, at around 1.40 AM, Pakistani troops opened
 heavy fire using mortars, rockets and small arms on 11 Indian forward posts
 along the LoC in Digwar, Mankote and Durga Battalion areas.
It continued till 7.30 AM next day, triggering heavy exchanges in Poonch.
There were three incidents of ceasefire violation on August 11 also.
Pak troops, at around 8.30 AM, 11.30 AM and 9.50 PM, had fired on Alfa Machial
border outpost in Jammu, Balakote-Mendhar in Poonch and Durga Battalion in
Poonch district respectively.
One Jawan had received bullet injuries in Pak firing at Alfa Machial border outpost,
 and was referred to AIIMS, Delhi for treatment.
In a similar manner, a BSF head constable Ram Niwas Meena of 200th Battalion was
injured in snipper firing on Narainpur border outpost area in Samba district along the
international border on August 5.
Meena, who suffered bullet injury in chest, died at AIIMS, New Delhi on August 11.
On August 10, in a major ceasefire violation three days after killing of five Indian
 jawans in Border Action Team attack, Pakistani troops targeted several Indian posts
 and fired 7,000 rounds of heavy Pika ammunition and mortar shells during seven
 hours of firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.
Pakistan troops, in BAT attack on Indian Patrol near Sarla Post along LoC in Poonch
district and killed 5 jawans and injured another.
There has also been 57 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops this year from
January 1 to August 5, which is 80 per cent more than the last year during the
same corresponding period.