Pakistan ends de-escalation, starts firing at LoC

According to reports received, Pakistan forces violated the ceasefire on Saturday morning by starting “unprovoked” firing at Kitni sector in Jammu & Kashmir’s Poonch district along the LoC.

It has been learnt that small arms are being used. Army sources confirmed that firing from Pakistani side is going on.

Indian forces are giving a “befitting reply”. This comes in the wake of a brief cease overnight, during which no new cases of firing were reported.

An uneasy calm prevailed along the International border lining India and Pakistan on Friday as the firing exchange between the two sides declined though Army sources said that the situation is far from being normal.

The development came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley issued the strongest message to the neighbouring country on Thursday.

PM said, "During times of attrition on the border, the statements of politicians are immaterial. For it is a time when "the bullets of soldiers fly and the screams of the enemy is audible. I congratulate the soldiers that they have given a demonstration of their capability".

Earlier he stated that Government has given Armed Forces “free hand” to respond to Pak aggression.

He is learnt to have instructed Armed forces to do what is necessary.

Apart from Modi, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley also issued stern message to India’s neighbor saying Pakistan will not be able to bear the cost of this "adventurism" if it persists with such "unprovoked" aggression.

"If Pakistan persists with this adventurism, our forces will make the cost of this adventurism unafforable," Jaitley told reporters.

Apart from that, New Delhi on Thursday morning lodged a strong protest with Islamabad after summoning Pak Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi Mansoor Ahmed Khan to South Block, which houses External Affairs Ministry.

He was told that “unprovoked firing from across the border that also continues to target civilians” must stop.

Army sources said, nearly 700 militants are waiting to cross into the Kashmir Valley from across the border.

Citing this report, Defence Minister said, "Firing is a cover for infiltration."

He said, "There is a connection between firing and infiltration. It is also an effort by Pakistan to precipitate tension where none existed."

Following India’s pressure, after 9 days of heavy exchange of small arms and mortar shelling, Pakistan de-escalated firing along the International Border (IB) to a great extent on Friday.

Army sources have said, No further incidents of ceasefire violations from Pak occupied Kashmir (POK) were reported on Friday.

Indian armed forces as a result also reported to restrain themselves by putting “reply” gun-fire on hold.

According to Indian Army sources, barring a 20-minute fire in Kathua district, the International Border on Friday witnessed de-escalation along its 192-km stretch.

It has been learnt that, there was no firing along the IB in Jammu and Samba districts, which has been the centre of target of Pakistan for past nine days.

“There was no cross-border firing during the intervening night of October 9 and 10 along the International Border in Jammu and Samba districts,” a Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman is quoted by media as saying on Friday.

He however admitted that there was firing by Pakistan along the IB in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district for 20 minutes from 8 p.m. to 8.20 p.m. involving four BSF Border Out Posts (BoP).

Apart from that incident, no reports of ceasefire violations by Pakistan were documented. Reacting to that, a senior BSF Officer commented that, that it’s too early to call it "de-escalation".  Within 24 hours, his words are proven true by Pak forces.

According to media reports, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a high-level meeting with top ministers and his country's military chiefs on Friday evening.

After that his office said in a statement that they had, "stressed the fact that both countries are aware of each other's capabilities. War is not an option. It is shared responsibility of the leadership of both countries to immediately defuse the situation."

The statement said, Mr Sharif's participation in PM Modi's oath ceremony earlier this year was "a manifestation of Pakistan's sincere desire to constructively engage India to establish durable peace in the region."

Within a few hours, those words proved to be vagued as Pakistani forces resumed firing along the LoC.

The IB has witnessed heavy firing for nine days, starting Oct 1, that has left eight persons dead and injured nearly 60 people, including 13 armed personnel.

Besides over 30,000 people have fled from their border homes leaving 113 hamlets deserted along the IB.

Most villages along the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts have been deserted since the shelling started on October 6.

The violence was regarded among the worst, since both countries agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control in 2003.

The tension escalated when Pakistan Army and Pak Rangers started “unprovoked” firing on Oct 1 targeting Indian posts and border hamlets.

Pakistan Targeted 60 Indian Posts and three dozen villages near the 200-km International Border in Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shelling and firing.

India retaliated by targeting 73 Pak posts with mortar shells and small arms.

Intelligence sources said India hit back by pounding 37 Pakistani posts that left about 15 dead and damaged several Pakistan Rangers outposts.