India giving "hard-hitting reply" to Pak: Defence Ministry on ceasefire violations

Jammu [India], Nov. 1 (ANI): Taking serious note of the ongoing ceasefire violations from the other side of the border, the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday said the Indian troops are hitting them hard. Defence Ministry PRO Manish Mehta while providing details about the present state of affairs at the border said Pakistan is using heavy mortars, adding India is responding in equal measure. "Yesterday there was unprovoked ceasefire violation in Balakote sector where one of our brave soldiers was martyred. Today since 5:30 in the morning, they carried on unprovoked ceasefire violation in Nowshera sector and presently it is intermittently carried out by them," Mehta told ANI. "Yesterday they had targeted civilian areas. Today, presently I don't have those details as to what areas they have targeted. However, they have targeted our forward areas and we have also responded appropriately. They are using 120 mm i.e. heavy mortars and we are also responding in equal measure... We are hitting them hard," he added. A 19-year-old girl has been killed and two civilians have been injured as Pakistan Rangers violated the ceasefire in Nowshera, Arnia and Ramgarh sectors of Jammu and Kashmir this morning. The Pakistani forces started unprovoked shelling targeting posts as well as civilian areas in Ramgarh and Arnia areas at around 6 a.m. The girl was killed in Ramgarh sector of Samba district while the two civilians sustained injuries in Arnia sector. The injured have been admitted to the nearby hospital for immediate medical aid. Dr Naseeb Chand Dhingra told ANI in Jammu that three patients have been brought from RS Pura sector, adding they have sustained sprinter injuries. However, the Border Security Force (BSF) is strongly retaliating to the unprovoked firing from the other side of the border in Samba sector. Meanwhile, an encounter is presently underway between the security forces and terrorists in Bandipora's Ajar village. Yesterday, an army jawan and a woman were killed as the Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar shelling along the LoC in Rajouri and Mendhar sectors. The Indian Army on Saturday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, inflicting massive damage across the border by destroying four posts across the LoC in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. The Indian forces retaliated after Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire repeatedly in Kathua and RS Pura sector along the International Border on Saturday. A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier was killed in Pakistani firing in Machil Sector. An Indian soldier was killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Nearly half a dozen people and four BSF soldiers have been killed so far and over 30 others injured in the recent skirmishes along the international border. (ANI)