File photo of delegation level meeting between India and Pakistan at the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The top commander of Pakistan's border guarding force on Monday called up the BSF chief to urge Indian troops to stop their retaliatory firing over escalated ceasefire violations by the neighbouring country following which both sides agreed to halt the exchanges.

Amidst a spurt in ceasefire violations along the Indo- Pakistan International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, the chief of Pakistan Rangers called up BSF DG DK Pathak urging the Indian side to stop its retaliatory firing.

Sources said that Rangers Director General Maj. Gen. Umar Farooq Burki told the BSF chief that they have suffered "very heavy" damage because of the BSF response and urged the border guarding force to stop its firing.

The Border Security Force (BSF) DG told his counterpart that there would be no retaliation if Pakistan does not initiate the firing, they added.

The Rangers DG, sources said, rang his BSF counterpart Monday afternoon on the newly-operationalised hotline between the two sides and urged Pathak to ensure tranquillity and stop firing on the border.

There have been repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops since October 23.

"Both sides agreed to stop the firing, but BSF made it clear that they will retaliate if provoked," they said.

The Indo-Pakistan IB in Jammu and Kashmir was peaceful since the Rangers and BSF held a DG-level conference last month in the national capital recently in September, but fresh violations by the other side began last week.

The two sides had decided to create a new mechanism and the two Directors General (DsG) had agreed to activate a hotline to get in direct touch in case of any problems on the border they guard.

Pakistan today targeted 30 border outposts and several hamlets with mortar bombs and heavy machine gun firing in the Samba and Kathua districts of J-K, leaving a civilian injured as ceasefire violations by the neighbouring country it continued for the fourth day.

The recent instances of ceasefire violations have left a civilian dead and seven others injured till now on the Indian side.