India, Pakistan trade heavy gunfire near LoC
On a day Pakistan finally agreed to a flag meeting to defuse tension along the volatile LoC, the Indian Army chief is believed to have told his top general in the border state that the force reserved the right to retaliate at a place and time of its choosing.The
brigade-commander level flag meeting will be held at Chakan-Da-Bagh in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, four days after India sought such a contact.
At the flag meeting, the Indian side is expected to strongly protest the Pakistani intrusion and the beheading of a soldier and demand the return of the severed head believed to have been carried by Pakistani army regulars after the killing of two soldiers on January eight.
"Brigade Commanders' flag meeting is being held on Monday at Chakan-Da-Bagh LoC point in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir at noon," Public Relation Officer (PRO), Defence, Col RK Palta said.
It is learnt that army chief General Bikram Singh has told northern army commander Lt Gen KT Parnaik that the force reserved its right to retaliate against Pakistan.
The Army chief made it clear to his top commanders that action had to be taken against any provocation in a professional manner, sources said.
A top commander in J&K told HT that General Singh also said that ?moral ascendancy? be maintained and the LoC be guarded effectively by observation and fire.
?They killed two of our boys and we killed two of theirs. But their act was gruesome, not in the spirit of the Geneva Convention. Our army has gained moral ascendancy over theirs,? former army vice-chief Lt Gen Vijay said.
On Sunday evening, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire yet again firing at Indian posts in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir? even as the two sides prepared for a flag meeting of top commanders on Monday to defuse tension along the Line of Control (LoC).
The fresh firing by Pakistan troops on Indian posts in Nangitikri forward area along LoC in Poonch district around 4:30 pm on Sunday, came after heavy overnight firing in Krishnagati also in Poonch, an Army officer said.
The attack took place hours after Pakistan agreed for a Brigade Commander-level flag meeting, sought by India, along the LoC in Poonch to discuss the recent intrusion and brutal killing of jawans besides continued ceasefire violations by its soldiers that have flared up tension.
Pakistani posts opposite Nangitikri targeted the posts and the Indian troops retaliated, he said.
The exchange continued for a brief period before coming to a halt, he said, adding there was no loss of life or injury to anyone on the Indian side.
There was firing on five Indian posts -- Kranti, Kripan, Gordha, Chajjaman and Dogra from Pakistan posts- Daku, Chooha, Roza and Battal. Mortars were fired intermittently from Pakistan side.
The ceasefire violation was the fourth by Pakistan troops along Poonch sector after the killing of two jawans.
On the overnight firing, Palta said movement of six to seven persons was detected close to LoC opposite Krishnagati sub-sector in Poonch sector around 9.45 pm on Saturday.
After 30 minutes, the group of suspected infiltrators disappeared, Palta said.
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