New Delhi :
Indian Army on Friday killed several Pakistani soldiers and destroyed their four bunkers in response to heavy shelling in Shahpur Kirni sector of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. According to reports, Pakistan had resorted to heavy shelling in the area in which a Jammu and Kashmir police SPO sustained injuries. Following the provocation, Army retaliated and destroyed four bunkers in the firing that continued till late Friday night. Earlier, Pakistan forces fired mortar shells on Indian security posts as well as the residential area. Several houses were also damaged due to the unprovoked shelling by Pakistan.
The tension on the border between India and Pakistan has been high since the Balakot strike in response to the February 14 Pulwama attack, in which over 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. The attack was carried out by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). To avenge the deadly attack, Indian Air Force on February 26 had conducted cross border strike on a JeM camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
The confrontation, the most serious between the nuclear-armed neighbours in more than a decade, led to a war-like situation with both countries flying jets in each other's air space. Even though tensions have cooled down after Islamabad's decision to return a captured IAF pilot, both sides continued to engage in cross-border shelling.
On March 2, three members of a family, including a nine-month-old, were killed and two others sustained injuries after Pakistani forces fired mortar shells along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch. The Pakistan Army has violated the ceasefire for over 60 times during the last week and targeted over 70 civilian and forward areas along the LoC in Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
In view of the prevailing situation, authorities have ordered temporary closure of educational institutions in a 5-km radius along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts. They have asked all border dwellers to remain inside their homes.
