Pak troops target 5 BSF posts, violate ceasefire 8 times in 24 hours

A day ahead of home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's visit to areas along the international border to review the security situation, fresh reports of ceasefire violations came in from Jammu and Kashmir on Monday morning.

Pakistani troops opened fire at five forward posts of the 

Border Security Force (BSF) along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday night, making it the eighth incident of ceasefire violation in 24 hours, the NDTV reported.

According to the TV report, a senior BSF officer said Pakistani rangers resorted to unprovoked firing at the border posts in RS Pura sub-sector around 8.30pm.

The BSF troops took positions and retaliated effectively, triggering exchanges. There was no loss of life or injury to anyone on the Indian side, the report quoted the officer as saying.

They targeted the posts with small arms initially, but later intensified the attacks with mortars and rockets, the TV report quoted unnamed sources as saying.

On Saturday, Pakistani troops had pounded 14 Indian posts and civilian areas in Jammu frontier with mortar shells, leaving two BSF jawans injured.

There have been over 150 incidents of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and international border in the last two months.

The relentless attacks on BSF posts on Sunday coincided with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's four-day visit to the US, where he hinted at seeking US intervention in resolving the Kashmir issue.

The Obama administration has said there has not been an "iota of change" on its policy on Kashmir which considers it a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.

India says it will assess the situation arising out of the sharp increase in ceasefire violations, but for the time being, it will leave it to the two directors general of military operations (DGMOs) who have been asked to restore peace.

In the backdrop of the increased ceasefire violations, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde will visit the areas the international border on October 22 to review the security situation.