Pakistani troops early on Sunday resorted to “unprovoked” mortar firing on forward Indian posts in Haji Pir area of Uri sector along the Line of Control to “facilitate terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.”
A defence spokesperson in Udhampur, the headquarters of India’s crucial Northern Command, said Indian troops “gave a calibrated response” and “foiled their attempt to sneak through.” During the exchange of fire which continued for nearly five hours, some civilian houses in Charunda village were damaged due to Pakistani firing creating panic among the residents, he added.
The statement was issued hours after Pakistan said Indian troops had raided a military post in the Haji Pir sector of PoK, killing a soldier and injuring another. But defence spokesperson said “There has been no cross border movement by Indian troops.” The spokesperson further said that the heavy small arms firing was followed by the mortar shelling by the facing troops. One of the shells hit the house of one Abdur Rashid Deedad damaging its roof. However, his family members escaped unhurt. On October 16, 2012, three civilians including a 15-year-old boy and a 20-year-old girl were killed in Charunda in alleged unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops from across the LoC. Lt. Col. Rajesh Kalia, an Army spokesperson, said that they started targeting the Indian Army posts with heavy machine gun and mortar fire at 3.30 am on Sunday in order to facilitate the militants to sneak into the Indian side of the de facto border. “Indian Army gave a calibrated response and foiled their attempt to sneak through. The firing continued till about 8 am. Some civilian houses were damaged due to Pakistani firing,” he said. However, Pakistani military spokesperson in Islamabad alleged that it were the Indian troops who initiated the skirmish by raiding a Pakistani military post in the Haji Pir sector of PoK that killed a soldier and wounded another.