Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Apr 29: Pakistani troops continued unprovoked firing across the Line of Control (LoC) for the fifth consecutive night in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Tuesday.
In the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, the Pakistan Army opened fire using small arms at Indian positions in sectors opposite Kupwara and Baramulla districts in north Kashmir, as well as the Akhnoor sector in Jammu, Lt Colonel Suneel Bartwal, PRO (Defence), Northern Command, said the Indian Army responded in a measured and effective manner.
This series of incidents began Thursday night, hours after India announced the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty following the killing of 26 civilians in a terror attack in Pahalgam.
Since then, Pakistani troops have opened fire across the LoC at multiple locations, including on the intervening night of April 27-28 in Kupwara and Poonch districts.
“There have been no casualties on the Indian side,” Bartwal said.
Officials said the security grid along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir has been placed on high alert. The Army and Border Security Force (BSF) are conducting round-the-clock patrols and maintaining strict vigilance. They are also deploying advanced surveillance technology, including high-tech drones and other monitoring equipment, to track any movement across the border.
The repeated ceasefire violations have caused concern among residents in border villages. Schools have started preparing students for potential emergencies by conducting mock drills and evacuation exercises.
“We are training children on how to take shelter quickly and where to gather in case of firing,” said Mohammad Younis, a school principal in the Tangdhar area.
Meanwhile, authorities on Tuesday announced the closure of several tourist destinations near the LoC, including Gurez, Keran, Tangdhar and Uri. These places had seen a rise in tourist footfall since the February 2021 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
“The administration has decided to shut down tourism in these areas until the situation becomes clear,” a government official said.
Locals said the ceasefire pact of 2021 had brought a period of calm to the region, allowing people to resume normal life. That sense of security is now under strain.
“Since 2021, we have been living peacefully,” said Nizakat Ahmad, a resident of Uri. “We fear the shelling may return. We have already lost people in the past.”
