In the past two months, both sides have lost Army men as well as civilians in cross-LoC firing. — File
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 23
The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan spoke to each other over the telephonic hotline on Wednesday and Indian DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh told his Pak counterpart to stop his troops from firing at LoC or else face retaliation. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)
“If any ceasefire violations were initiated by Pak troops or any infiltration attempts were made by terrorists from Pak-occupied Kashmir or territory under its control, it would invite an appropriate response by the Indian Army,” Army spokesperson Colonel Rohan Anand said citing the DGMO.
Lt Gen Singh suggested a way out and told his counterpart “to exercise strict control on their troops to refrain from any nefarious activities. This would lead to return of normalcy along Line of Control”. The Indian DGMO further raised the issue of infiltration attempts by terrorists from the Pakistan side into J&K and the unethical act of mutilation of the body of Indian soldiers close to the Line of Control by terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan. “In an unscheduled hotline interaction requested for by Pakistan, Indian DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh spoke to his counterpart this evening,” and Indian Army statement said. The Pak DGMO informed of civilian casualties on the Pak side by Indian firing along the LoC. Lt Gen Ranbir Singh expressed grief at Pak civilian casualties but emphatically stated that retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out targeting locations from where Pakistan has initiated cease fire violations on Indian Posts. Lt Gen Ranbir Singh expressed his concerns to the Pak DGMO on casualties caused to Indian civilians and soldiers due to unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side. Normally, the weekly telephonic talk over the hotline is conducted by Colonel level officer. In the past two months, both sides have lost Army men as well as loss to civilian lives and property in cross-LoC firing.