The Hindu : Front Page : Firing mars LoC ceasefire

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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Firing mars LoC ceasefire

Special Correspondent

Army to lodge protest with Pakistan

NEW DELHI: A day before External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will reach Islamabad to resume peace talks, an Army post in Jammu came under attack from across the Line of Control killing a soldier of the Gorkha Rifles.

The firing, which began at 8 a.m. on Monday in Poonch district, lasted 10 minutes, said Army sources here. Jawans immediately took up positions but did not retaliate.

The Army intends lodging a strong protest with its Pakistani counterpart during a flag meeting although it was not yet clear whether the firing was by militants or Army personnel.

“Whatever it is, they should have been more vigilant across the border especially in view of two firing incidents recently,” said an officer. This is the second incident of firing from across the LoC in less than a week and the third if the heavy firing on a Border Security Force post on the International Border is taken into account.

The sources said the firing on the International Border could be attributed to militants but the one at Tangdhar on the LoC had imprints of an organised force. During the flag meeting on the Tangdhar firing, Pakistan initially denied the incident but agreed to a probe after being presented with photographs of bullet marks on the Indian Army post. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had termed the incident a matter of concern.

The November 2003 ceasefire has generally held and though the recent firing has marred the generally peaceful border, the situation is nowhere as drastic as at the time when both armies fought artillery duels and traded small arms fire daily.

Staff Reporter writes from Poonch:

A senior Army officer posted in the belt told The Hindu that the firing could be the handiwork of militants as rocket-propelled grenade-launchers and under barrel grenade launchers had been used. But, he said, it was not possible that the Pakistan army personnel posted in the area were not aware of the happenings on their side along the LoC. “We have not retaliated to maintain the sanctity of the bilateral ceasefire between the two troops.”

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