This Article is From Oct 07, 2014

Our Armed Forces Are Fully Ready, Warns Defence Minister After Pakistan Firing: 10 Developments

Our Armed Forces Are Fully Ready, Warns Defence Minister After Pakistan Firing: 10 Developments

Pakistan shelled the village of Arnia in the early hours of Monday.

New Delhi: Five civilians have died and nearly 30 have been injured in the Jammu and Poonch areas of J&K after heavy firing through the night from Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan again resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing in Mankote sector of Poonch district on Monday evening. The exchange of fire was on, a defence spokesman said. There have been a dozen ceasefire violations along the border in Jammu and Kashmir in the last four days.

Here are 10 big developments in this story:

  1. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley who was discharged from hospital today after a long illness warned, "Let everybody be assured that our armed forces and para-military forces are fully ready and they are responding to each of these provocations from Pakistan."

  2. The civilian casualties were largely from the village of Arnia about three kilometres from the border. The shells landed near a bus stand and houses in Arnia in the early hours of Monday.

  3. "I've never seen such massive firing. Bombs were falling on houses," Vijay Kumar, an injured villager, told NDTV.

  4. Pakistani forces also shelled at least 10 Indian army posts along the Line of Control, according to army officials in Kashmir. Gunfire continued between the two sides in those areas on Monday, they said.

  5. Lieutenant-Colonel Brijesh Panday said the army also shot dead three Pakistani-based militants trying to cross into India. Two militants escaped back to Pakistan, he said.

  6. India says last night's is the 11th violation by Pakistan in October alone of the ceasefire struck between the countries in 2003.

  7. Sources tell NDTV that the Border Security Force and the army which guard the Line of Control have been retaliating with heavy fire. Pakistan claims four of its civilians were killed last night in firing from India.

  8. In a deviation from tradition, Indian and Pakistani troops manning the border in Wagah did not exchange sweets on the festival of Eid today.

  9. The deaths overnight mark the heaviest toll since India called off a round of talks with Pakistan last month after its officials insisted on consulting Kashmiri separatists ahead of the proposed summit in Islamabad.

  10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised many observers by inviting Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his inauguration in May. But relations have soured since then.



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