Indian forces target-bombed a civilian residential area near the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday, resulting in severe injuries to an 8-year-old boy, the military's media wing said.

The "unprovoked" shelling by the Indian army occurred in the Chiri Kot sector of the LoC, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), adding Pakistani forces "responded effectively to the Indian post that engaged in the shelling".

The injured boy was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

The latest violence along the heavily militarised border comes after only a few weeks of relative calm.

In early September, a Pakistani villager was killed in "unprovoked" firing by Indian troops across the LoC. Abdul Rauf was fatally shot by Indian security forces in the Kotkoterra Sector while grazing animals, according to an FO statement.

Earlier in August, a 65-year-old man was killed when Indian troops resorted to "unprovoked" firing across the LoC in Danna sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement had said.

Zulfiqar, a resident of Mouji village, died after Indian border forces targeted the civilian population in Danna sector, the statement added.

The August incident came just two days after the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan and India had made a hotline contact and expressed “general satisfaction” over the situation along the LoC and Working Boundary since their last communication on May 29 for reinvigorating the ceasefire agreement.

While the Indian DGMO had held out the assurance that no such action which might vitiate the atmosphere at the LoC would be taken, his Pakistani counterpart promised “investigation” if “actionable intelligence” was provided regarding certain Indian allegations, Dawn reported.

Pakistan’s DGMO, however, had expressed concern over violations of ceasefire by India and “deliberately targeting innocent civilians” which claimed four lives and left 32 injured since May 29.

“It was conveyed that such actions are extremely detrimental for peace along LoC,” according to a statement then issued by ISPR.

The Pakistan DGMO also expressed concern over “unusual movements of weapons and forces along LoC” and cautioned the Indian official over any provocation which had the potential to vitiate the environment. “[The] Indian DGMO assured that no such move had taken place,” the statement read.