Bilateral ceasefire on LoC in J&K continues, says Army

This comes a day after sources said the Pakistan Army had resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire violation on the LoC in the Poonch district in the Krishna Ghati sector. The same sources said the Pakistan Army had suffered casualties in the retaliatory firing by the Indian Army.

On Thursday, a statement issued by the Indian Army said, “The ceasefire on the LoC is intact and continues to be observed as per the understanding between both the armies (of India and Pakistan). Tension due to some stray incidents of cross LoC firing and a suspected IED blast on one of our ptls on the LoC is being dealt with through the established mechanism. No exchange of fire of heavy-calibre weapons has taken place. Minor incidents are not unprecedented along the LoC. Concerns have been raised to the Pakistan Army at the appropriate level."

“The situation remains stable and being closely monitored. Indian Army maintains high state of alertness and is dominating the LoC,” the statement further read.

Meanwhile, a day after he chaired a security review meeting in Kashmir, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha held a similar meeting in the Jammu division.

The meeting was attended by senior officers of J&K Police, intelligence agencies, CAPFs and the Army.

The meeting took place in the backdrop of the martyrdom of two soldiers, a captain and a jawan on February 11 in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in the Akhnoor sector of the LoC in Jammu district.

It is now said that the IED had been planted by the terrorists. Manoj Sinha is reported to have given clear directions to the security forces to endure zero infiltration and zero tolerance for terrorism. The directions to dismantle the ecosystem of terrorism include zero tolerance for terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and their sympathisers.