Five Army soldiers were injured and two houses damaged as Pakistani army resorted to heavy mortar shelling on 55 forward areas in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts on Tuesday, officials said, hours after IAF jets struck a JeM terror camp across the LoC.
The Pakistani army used heavy weaponry, firing 120-mm mortar targeting civilian hamlets and forward posts since 5.30 pm Tuesday, they said.
They fired from small, automatic and heavy weaponry in Krishna Gati, Balakote, Khari Karmara, Mankote, Tarkundi areas in Poonch district; Kalal, Baba Khori, Kalsian, Laam and Jhangar areas in Rajouri; and Pallanwala and Laleali sub sectors in Jammu, officials said.
In Akhnoor sector, five soldiers were injured and have been hospitalized, they said.
In Mankote sector of Poonch, two houses were damaged, they said.The officials said Indian troops gave a "befitting reply" to the firing.
According to officials, more than a dozen cease-fire violations took place on Tuesday — the fourth consecutive day of Pakistan shelling and firing on Indian posts.
Earlier Tuesday, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Nowshera sector along the Line of Control (LoC), an officer said, adding that locals in the border areas have been asked to not venture out.
Panic gripped the border areas and some locals have left their homes and moved to safer areas, multiple reports said.
Authorities have ordered a temporary closure of educational institutions in a 5-km radius along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Wednesday.
Since last Wednesday, Pakistan has violated ceasefire everyday, barring Friday, the officer said.
The multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the LoC came on a day the Indian Air Force carried out strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot.
India struck Jaish-e-Mohammed's(JeM) biggest camp in Pakistan early Tuesday in a major "preemptive" action killing a large number of terrorists and trainers of the Pak-based terror group preparing to carry out suicide attacks in this country, a top official said.
Giving details of the "intelligence-led operation" at a news conference in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said credible intelligence was received that the JeM was planning to carry out other suicide attacks in India after the Pulwama bombing on a CRPF convoy 12 days ago that killed 40 jawans.
"Credible intelligence was received that JeM was attempting another suicide terror attack in various parts of the country, and the fidayeen jihadis were being trained for this purpose. In the face of imminent danger, a preemptive strike became absolutely necessary.
"In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot," Gokhale said.
The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations numbering 2,936 by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border.
Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India, despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides.
Amid mounting tensions between the two countries, following the Pulwama terror attack on Feb 14 and an Indian air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp inside Pakistan Tuesday, people along the LoC and the International Border are living in fear.
(With inputs from agencies)
