This Article is From Oct 09, 2014

'Unprovoked Firing at Border Must Stop,' India Tells Pakistan

'Unprovoked Firing at Border Must Stop,' India Tells Pakistan
New Delhi/Jammu: India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the repeated ceasefire violations, saying "unprovoked firing must stop." Pakistan targeted 60 Indian posts near the 200-km International Border in Jammu and Kashmir with firing and shelling that left eight, including five civilians, injured last night.

Here are the latest developments:

  1. Sources say Pakistan used mobile mortars, or mortars mounted on armoured personnel carriers, which allow troops to fire from one location and move quickly to the next.

  2. Pakistan started firing at Indian outposts with mortars and automatic weapons at about 9.15 pm on Wednesday from Kanachak in Jammu. There was shelling in over 80 villages in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, according to the Press Trust of India.

  3. Indian soldiers retaliated aggressively from around 60 posts.

  4. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today warned that while "Pakistan has clearly been the aggressor, they must realize our deterrence will be credible. If Pakistan persists with this adventurism, our forces will make the cost of this adventurism unaffordable."

  5. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first remarks on the escalating border crisis, had said, "Everything will be fine soon."

  6. Top government sources say the forces have been given a free hand to deal with the spurt in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops, in which eight civilians have been killed and nearly 60 injured this week.

  7. India has warned Pakistan that it is not afraid of escalating fire and said there can be no talks at the border until all firing across the International Border and the 700-km Line of Control - the de facto border - stops.

  8. Sources in the government tell NDTV that PM Modi "has left the management of the crisis to his team led by the National Security Adviser after indicating broad guidelines about not succumbing to any blackmail and responding appropriately."

  9. Eight civilians including women have been killed in India this week as Pakistan fired upon Army outposts and villages. More than 20,000 villagers have fled their homes near the border to escape the shelling that has damaged houses and ripped power cables.

  10. India has accused Pakistan of firing to distract its forces and help militants infiltrate into Kashmir. Indian army sources tell NDTV they believe nearly 700 militants are waiting to cross into the Kashmir Valley from across the border.



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