A Day After IAF Strikes In Balakot, Pakistan Provokes With Ceasefire Violation As India Retaliates

Hours after India carried out what is being described as the?most audacious strike against terrorists inside Pakistan,?the latter has resorted to ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan reportedly targeted various locations in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts since Tuesday evening with heavy weapons. India has retaliated the unprovoked aggression with firing at Pakistani posts across the LoC.

AFP/ FILE

"The Indian Army retaliated for effect and our focused fire resulted in severe destruction to five posts and number of casualties to Pak army (along LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts)", a defence PRO said.

Five Indian soldiers have reportedly suffered minor injuries in the fire exchange. Following the escalation of tensions, all government and private schools located within 5 kilometres of the LoC in Rajouri district have been asked to will remain closed for the day.

"Due to prevailing situation on the Line of Control, all government and private schools located in 0 to 5 km range from the LoC in Rajouri district shall remain closed today. Exams scheduled for today also stand cancelled in," the District Magistrate of Rajouri told ANI.

AFP/ FILE

It was not immediately clear weather there wa any infiltration attempts during the ceasefire violations.?

In the past, Pakistan has used ceasefire violations as a destruction to help terrorists from its soil to infiltrate into the Indian side.

Meanwhile two Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were gunned down by security forces during an encounter in Memander area of Shopian.

Around 2-3 terrorists who were believed to have links to the Pulwama terror attack were held up in Memander.

The encounter which began in the early hours of Wednesday has reportedly ended and security forces have begun the combing operations.

BCCL

The escalations comes a day after India announced to the world that its Air Force carried out an intelligence based preemptive strike inside Pakistan, targeting JeM training facilities.

Even though there are no confirmation on the number of fatalities various estimates have put it somewhere around 200-300 terrorists, including some top JeM commanders.