Shyam Sood

Rajouri, May 8

The Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar shelling and automatic weapon firing on Indian forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) today.The Pakistan army targeted posts in Kalsian, Jhanger, Sair and Makri areas and got a befitting reply from the Indian side. On Sunday, Pakistan resorted to firing in the Balakot sector.After information of movement of some suspects in the Kalsian area, the Indian Army and police launched a joint search operation today.“The operation was launched after getting information about suspicious movement but it ended in the evening without any result,” said Harbnsh Singh, SDM.Since the killing and mutilation of two soldiers by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) in Poonch district, the situation on the LoC is grim and both armies are on a high alert.For the last three days, low intensity skirmishes have been taking place on the LoC in Nowshera, Balakot and Mendher sectors but no injury or damage has been reported so far on this side of the LoC.

Anti-militancy ops halt cross-LoC bus service

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 8

Amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan, the ‘Karvan-e-Aman’ or cross-Line of Control (LoC) peace bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was halted today after the Army launched an anti-insurgency operation in the border area of north Kashmir’s Uri sub-district.Officials said the Army informed the local administration that a “counter-insurgency search operation” was underway in the Kaman post area of Uri and movement of the bus was not safe.“Today morning, the Army had given us an indication orally that the cross-LoC bus can’t pass due to an ongoing search operation in the forest area of the Kaman post here,” sub-district magistrate, Uri, Sagar Doifode told The Tribune.The passengers were taken to a government guest house in Uri, where they were kept waiting till 2 pm for a nod to move forward.“We didn’t receive a green light from the Army until 2 pm to allow the passengers to move forward. Also, we could not keep the passengers stranded for the whole day. So, we called the bus service off,” Doifode said.At least 39 passengers, including 23 residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), were moving from this side of Kashmir to Muzaffarabad. They have been sent back to Srinagar and will be travelling to PoK next Monday. The Srinagar-bound bus which was supposed to reach there this afternoon was also not allowed to cross the Aman Setu, the peace bridge, where an exchange of passengers takes place in Uri.Army sources said militants had tried to sneak into the Indian side of the LoC on Sunday evening, resulting in exchange of fire in the Gawalta area in Uri.