By IANS,
Srinagar : In yet another violation of the 2003 bilateral ceasefire, Pakistani troops Wednesday fired at Indian positions across the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowgam sector of the Kashmir Valley.
“Pakistani troops started firing at our positions on this side of the LoC in Nowgam again,” said defence spokesman Lt. Col. A.K. Mathur.
“Our troops are maintaining restraint. We have asked the Pakistani troops to stop firing so that the situation does not escalate,” Mathur said.
On Monday, a group of Pakistani soldiers had allegedly crossed the LoC in the same sector into the Indian side, resulting in exchange of fire between the armies of the two countries.
One Indian soldier of 22 Rajput Rifles was killed in that border skirmish while four Pakistani soldiers also died in the retaliatory firing.
India Tuesday lodged a strong protest against the unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC. The protest was lodged when Lt. Gen. A.S. Sekhon, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi, spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Maj. Gen. Nasir Janjua on the hotline, according to the defence ministry.
Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony also urged Islamabad to respect the ceasefire that has been in place since November 2003.
After a flag meeting Tuesday, the firing at the LoC had stopped though Pakistan foreign office refused to accept LoC ceasefire violation by its soldiers.