In a major escalation, the Pakistan Army on Tuesday night opened fire across the International Border in Jammu’s Paragwal sector—marking the first such incident there amid a sustained spell of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), defence sources said.
This latest flare-up followed unprovoked firing by Pakistani forces at multiple locations along the LoC earlier in the day, making it the sixth consecutive day of cross-border hostilities.
The rising tensions come in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists, which left 26 civilians, mostly non-Muslim tourists, dead.
Following the Pakistani firing in Paragwal, the Border Security Force (BSF) deployed additional personnel in the area.
India Responds ‘Swiftly’
Indian troops responded promptly and strategically, while ground units briefed the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) on the unfolding situation and ceasefire breaches.
Along the LoC, fresh rounds of firing were reported from Naushera and Sunderbani in Rajouri, the Akhnoor sector in Jammu, and Baramulla and Kupwara districts in north Kashmir. Indian forces responded at multiple points to reassert control and secure the frontier.
Defence sources said the Indian Army has video and photographic evidence identifying around 20 Pakistani posts involved in the violations. So far, Pakistan has used only small arms; there has been no deployment of artillery or air defence systems.
J&K Counter-Terror Operations
Meanwhile, counterinsurgency operations are ongoing in the hinterlands of Anantnag, Pulwama, and Shopian, where security forces are combing high-altitude terrain to root out militant threats.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF are conducting door-to-door searches, including of suspected Over Ground Workers (OGWs), to gather intelligence on terror networks.
Since the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan has intensified cross-border aggression in a consistent pattern of provocation.
On Monday night alone, firing incidents were reported from Kupwara, Baramulla, and Akhnoor.
April has seen a sharp increase in LoC violations, with at least seven reported incidents.
The month began with a mine blast in the Krishna Ghati sector on April 1, believed to be aimed at facilitating infiltration. This was followed by successive instances of unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops.
On April 22-23, gunfire was reported in Poonch, shortly after the Pahalgam terror strike.
Similar violations occurred in Kupwara between April 24-25 and again from April 25-26, when 34 suspected locations were targeted along the LoC. Two additional breaches were reported on the night of April 26-27 in Kupwara.
Modi Gives ‘Free-Hand’
In response to the heightened threat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level security review on Tuesday.
During the meeting, he emphasised that the Indian armed forces have full operational freedom to decide the timing, targets, and nature of any retaliatory measures against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam attack.
(With inputs from IBNS)
