Army men patrol along the LoC in the Uri sector of Baramulla. Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 9

An Army jawan was injured along the Line of Control (LoC) in a ceasefire violation in the Uri sector in Baramulla district, the Army said today.Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said Pakistan violated the ceasefire this morning, which was retaliated appropriately. “Unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Uri sector this morning in which one soldier was injured. He was taken to Army’s 92 base hospital in Srinagar,” he said, adding “our troops retaliated appropriately.”Sources said the Pakistan army fired at Indian posts in the Churnada sector, some 120 km from Srinagar, this morning. “The Pakistan army fired at our posts around 4 am and we responded to it. The exchange of fire continued for a brief time,” the sources said.This is the first exchange of fire along the LoC in the Kashmir region in the past nearly two weeks. On February 24, Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy artillery in the Uri sector — first time after the ceasefire agreement in 2003 — that triggered a panic in the entire sector. The exchange of heavy fire triggered migration of over 100 families along the LoC from Balkote, Silikote, Tilawari and Churnada villages. However, these families returned home last Friday.Apart from the Uri sector, ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place in the Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district last month. BSF Constable Sunil Murmu of the 124 Battalion was killed at Tangdhar by a sniper from across on February 22.

Pak: LoC situation deterioratingIslamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday said the situation on the Line of Control and working boundary with India has been rapidly deteriorating since 2017. Responding to a query in the National Assembly, he alleged India had committed more than 400 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the working boundary since January in which 18 civilians had been killed. PTI