The Hindu : Front Page : Pakistan opens fire across Line of Control

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005

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Pakistan opens fire across Line of Control

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI, JAN. 18. In the first major violation of the ceasefire agreement in force since November 2003, the Pakistan Army today fired a dozen mortar rounds across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir tonight.

The 81-mm mortars were targeted near the border town of Poonch between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in retaliation to the killing of five infiltrating militants in the same area, claimed Army sources.

With both the countries not wanting the situation to escalate, the two Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) will try to thrash out the issue at their weekly telephonic conversation due on Wednesday.

Army officers here linked the firing to the killing of the militants on Monday night. They see the move as one to dissuade their men from entering the mined area where the bodies of the five militants were lying. While the Army has recovered the bodies and identified the militant organisation which had sent them in, the Pakistani mortar firing has dissuaded the Army scouts from combing the area more thoroughly to pick up the clues to the modus operandi.

However, the mood here is to close the chapter through dialogue as was done in a minor skirmish about six months ago, say Army officials. At that time, the troops on both sides were in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation over differing perceptions of the LoC. Fortuitously, the two DGMOs discussed the situation over the hotline and directed the field commanders to resolve the situation. Accordingly, a flag meeting was held and the dispute resolved.

While maintaining that the Indian Army was in a state of battle readiness, Army officials here hoped that the matter would be settled at tomorrow's hotline conversation between the DGMOs.

No retaliation by India

PTI reports:

Army spokesman Deepak Sammanwar said that there was no retaliation from the Indian side. Replying to a question, he said: "Yes, it's certainly a violation of the ceasefire. It is the first time it has happened. But we are exercising full restraint on this. We are trying to assess the situation. All our patrols and ambushes have been altered," he said. Asked about the reason behind the firing from across the LoC, he said "we are yet to carry out an assessment why this has happened."

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