Pakistani Troops Open Unprovoked Fire on LoC, Suffer Heavy Losses in Indian Retaliation

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Pakistani soldiers on Wednesday fired unprovoked at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Tarkundi sector of Poonch district prompting a strong retaliation from the Indian Army. Security officials reported that Pakistan suffered heavy losses due to the Indian response. This incident comes shortly after two Indian Army soldiers were martyred in an IED blast by suspected terrorists near the LoC in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. Ceasefire violations had been rare since the re-implementation of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan on February 25, 2021.

Meanwhile, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army sustained minor injuries after stepping on a landmine in the same area and was immediately taken to an Army hospital for treatment. Officials noted an increase in hostile activities across the LoC over the past week making this the first ceasefire violation of the year and the fourth cross-border incident within five days. On Monday, a soldier was injured in cross-border firing in the Kalaal area of Nowshera sector while on February 8, militants fired upon an Indian Army patrol in Keri sector of Rajouri, attempting to infiltrate into Indian territory.

Additionally, during the night of February 4-5, landmine explosions in the Krishna Ghati sector caused casualties among infiltrating terrorists. On February 10, Lieutenant General Naveen Sachdeva, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Jammu-based White Knight Corps, along with senior Army officers, visited forward areas in Rajouri sector to review the security situation and assess Pakistani activities along the LoC. The visit underscored the Army’s focus on operational preparedness amid increasing border tensions.