Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in Poonch

JAMMU: In yet another violation of the truce along Line of Control in border district Poonch of the Jammu region, the Pakistani troops on Monday targeted the forward Indian posts along the LoC for the third time in the last 24 hours, forcing the authorities to suspend the Poonch-Rawalkote bus service and postpone examinations.Sunday’s firing partially damaged the Trade Felicitation Centre (TFC), Chaka da Bagh , in Poonch and forced authorities to suspend the Jammu-Rawalkote bus service, sources from Poonch said.“The Pakistani Army fired unprovoked in Poonch sector from 0640 hours on Monday,” Jammu defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said here on Monday.He said, “Pakistani troops using 82 mm mortars, automatic weapons targeted our forward defended locations along Line of Control (LoC) and the fire was responded by our troops in a befitting manner, ensuing a heavy exchange of fire.”“Intermediate firing is going on. No casualty in has been reported so far,” he added. Pakistan on Sunday also violated the truce agreement by firing heavily twice in Krishna Ghati and Chakkan da Bagh areas of Poonch.Meanwhile, keeping in view the heavy shelling from across the border, the district administration on Monday postponed the examinations and suspended cross LoC bus service in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. According to official sources from Poonch border areas, district authorities postponed Class 6 and 7 examinations, scheduled to be held on Monday, in view of the crossborder firing along the LoC.Condemning Pakistan for the ceasefire violation , Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said, “It is an old habit of Pakistan. It always resorts to unprovoked firing along the LoC whenever there is a festival.”Union MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh said, “I think the Indian government and Indian agencies are capable of meeting any kind of challenge. You must trust the Modi government to give a befitting response.”