NEW DELHI: Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to unprovoked small arms firing from multiple posts across the Kashmir valley on the night of April 25-26, a defence official said Saturday.
“On the night of April 25-26, unprovoked small firing was carried out by multiple Pakistan Army posts all across the Line of Control in Kashmir,” said a Srinagar-based defence spokesperson. “Army troops responded appropriately with small arms. No casualties have been reported.”
Military sources confirmed similar incidents had occurred a day earlier, with Pakistani forces initiating small arms fire at several points along the LoC. “The firing was effectively responded to,” a source said.
The ceasefire violations come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following Tuesday’s terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. The Indian Army has since stepped up counter-terror operations and reviewed preparedness, with Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visiting Srinagar to assess the situation with senior commanders.
India has announced a series of strong diplomatic and strategic measures in response to the attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari land-border crossing, and expulsion of Pakistani military attachés. All Pakistanis who entered via Attari have been asked to leave India by May 1.
In retaliation, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian airlines and suspended trade with India, including through third countries. It also rejected India’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that any attempt to stop water flows will be treated as an “act of war”.
Amid national outrage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to bring the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack to justice. Speaking at a rally in Bihar’s Madhubani, he said, “India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth.”