Shattering two days of calm, firing resumed between Indian and Pakistani soldiers on Saturday along the LoC in Poonch district. According to Army officials, Pakistani troops started firing on forward posts in the Banwat area in Poonch around 1.15 p.m. “We retaliated heavily after our posts were attacked,” an Army officer told The Hindu. “There was no loss of life on our side.”

The official said the firing continued for five hours and lasted till about 6 p.m.

The firing was intended to abet infiltration into the Kashmir Valley before the winter snow rendered the borders inaccessible, he added.

Cross-border shelling over the past week has left eight persons dead and 90 wounded. More than 32,000 people have fled to relief camps.

The United Jihad Council, an umbrella body of 13 militant organisations in J&K, called for a unilateral ceasefire two weeks ago following the massive floods that devastated Srinagar and southern districts of the State. No major militant attacks have taken place since the ceasefire.