NEW DELHI: Pakistani troops once again violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC), opening unprovoked fire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Kupwara districts, Indian Army officials said on Monday.
“During the night of April 27-28, Pakistani Army posts initiated unprovoked small arms fire across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara and Poonch,” a defence spokesperson told news agency PTI. Indian forces responded swiftly and effectively, he added.
This marks the fourth consecutive night of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, amid heightened tensions following last week’s terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region.
On April 22, 25 tourists—vacationing with their families in the “mini Switzerland” of Jammu and Kashmir—were gunned down by Pakistan-backed terrorists after their religious identities were verified. Among the victims was a tourist from Nepal. A local Kashmiri man also lost his life while attempting to snatch a rifle from one of the attackers.
In response to the brutal attack, New Delhi announced a series of diplomatic measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to hunt down those responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, Islamabad, which announced retaliatory measures of its own, has labeled India’s suspension of the treaty “an act of war.”
The ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan has been in place since February 2021.
