Pakistan violates ceasefire for sixth night along LoC, international border

SRINAGAR: Pakistan violated the ceasefire for the sixth consecutive night on Tuesday by initiating unprovoked firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in different sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as along the international border in Jammu’s Pargwal sector. Meanwhile, the Army launched a massive combing operation, including house searches, along the LoC in Kupwara district as there are apprehensions that Pakistan is trying to push infiltrators during these breaches of truce.

“During the night of April 29-30, Pakistan army posts initiated unprovoked small-arms fire across the LoC in J&K’s Naushera, Sunderbani and Akhnoor sectors, as well as in Baramulla and Kupwara districts in Kashmir Valley,” an Army statement said, adding that Indian troops retaliated effectively.

Luv Puri, former UN counter-terrorism official and a Kashmir expert, said the escalation of hostilities along the LoC and now on the international border was not unexpected. “Little is known of what will happen following Prime Minister Modi’s statement that he has given ‘freedom of operation’ to the armed forces. But for those of us who have either witnessed or documented developments along the 740km LoC and the 198km international border over the past three decades, the escalation is not unexpected,” he said. Puri said the extension of firing from the LoC to the IB reflects a familiar pattern. However, the 198km international border is largely flat terrain and tends to flare up quickly during periods of heightened India-Pakistan tensions.

The ceasefire violations along the LoC in Kashmir follow a series of measures taken by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which terrorists shot dead 26 civilians in Baisaran meadow.