Brig YS Ahlawat says Indian Army has retaliated heavily to Pakistan’s ‘unprofessional’ ceasefire violations

Brigadier YS Ahlawat on Sunday said that the Pakistan Army has been displaying extreme cowardice and unprofessionalism by carrying out ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC).

He also said that the Indian Army has retaliated heavily and accurately, and villagers and people have been evacuated from places where mortar shelling is expected.

While addressing the media, Ahlawat said that the Pakistan Army is continuously carrying out ceasefire violations since February 19, but the army had swung into action and provided immediate relief to the villagers, including food, medicine, drinking water and provisioned sleeping bags.

“Since 19 Feb, Pakistan Army has been continuously carrying out ceasefire violations along the LoC in Uri sector. Displaying extreme cowardice & unprofessionalism, it has been targeting innocent villagers & causing damage to their houses through mortar shelling,” said Ahlawat.

He added, “Indian Army has retaliated accurately on the Pak Army post.Villagers have been evacuated to govt school in Uri. Army has swung into action & provided immediate relief to villagers including food, medicine, drinking water & have provisioned sleeping bags in view of winter.”

As per official reports, a total of six civilians were killed and 13 others were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling along the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir during the last 10 months.

Also Read: PoK starts evacuation plan amid LoC ceasefire violations

Nowshera and Manjakote sectors were worst hit and accounted for a majority of the damage in the shelling from across the border, District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary told PTI.

He said, “As many as 169 residential houses and 12 government buildings were damaged in the shelling from May 1, 2017, to February 25, 2018. 4,600 people migrated from the affected villages along the LoC during the past 10 months even as the local administration constructed 86 underground bunkers at various places in the twin sectors for the safety of the people. Over 80 schools, which were near the border, were closed to ensure safety of the students.”

Choudhary said the administration is making all efforts to reach out to the affected populace to mitigate their problems and has set up rehabilitation and relief camps for the border migrants with adequate facilities.

However, as per media reports, the government of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has readied evacuation plan to relocate locals to safe areas due to recent "provocation" by Indian forces at the Line of Control (LoC).

PoK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider has directed the district machinery and local authorities in the areas located along LoC to make standby arrangements for relocating thousands of people whose lives have come under direct threat after the tension at the border.

(With agency inputs)