New Delhi: Flustered over the retaliatory action by the Indian Army along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan is preparing to buy huge amounts of ammunition from abroad. Also Read - Record 3,186 Ceasefire Violations By Pakistan Along LoC In Past Eight Months, Highest Since 2003

Zee News quoted intelligence agency reports saying that Pakistan has finalised deal with Italy for the purchase of nearly one lakh shells for its Howitzer guns. Also Read - India-China Standoff: 'No Force Can Stop Indian Troops From Patrolling Ladakh Border', Says Rajnath Singh in Rajya Sabha

It may be worth mentioning here that soon after India struck a government-to-government deal with the US in November 2017 for supply of the 145 howitzers at a cost of nearly Rs 5,000 crore, Pakistan bought 121 Howitzer from Italy, to ensure that there is no shortage in preparation against the Indian Army. Also Read - India's NSA Ajit Doval Walks Out of SCO Meet as Pakistan Presents 'Fictitious Map' Showing Jammu and Kashmir as Its Own

“Our agencies are trying to find out why Pakistan is procuring about one lakh shells from Italy and where they are planning to use it,” Zee News quoted an official poster in central security establishment as saying.

Meanwhile, defence experts are surprised over the fact that Pakistan is buying Howitzer from Italy instead of China, its all-weather ally.

“It seems that Pakistan is not much reliant on the China-made Howitzer gun, or the price of the Chinese Howitzer can be higher than that of Italy, but instead of China, buying these guns from Italy is quite astonishing,” said an official associated with the Indian security establishment.

Indian Army has been constantly giving befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by Pakistani Army. On January 16, the Indian soldiers gunned down five Pakistani troops while destroying seven of their bunkers in retaliatory action in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector.

The year 2018 witnessed the highest number of 2,936 ceasefire violations by Pakistan troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border.

According to sources, fearing more such retaliatory actions by the Indian troops, Pakistani Army has increased the presence of soldiers on the forward posts. Also, it has reportedly alerted 3 Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) brigades in the Kotalia area of Kashmir adjacent to Poonch.