Dear reader, online ads enable us to deliver the journalism you value. Please support us by taking a moment to
Exchange of gunfire resumes across Pakistan-India border
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire across the disputed Kashmir border and working boundary on Saturday, military officials from both countries said, ending a pause in fighting that has already killed 17 civilians in the worst skirmishes in a decade.
Both sides blamed each other for starting the fresh outbreak of fighting.
The Pakistan army confirmed that a 70-year-old village resident Wali Muhammad was injured due to unprovoked firing and shelling by Indian forces in Poonch sector near Rawalkot.
“Pakistani troops effectively responded to Indian shelling,” a spokesman for the ISPR, the public relations wing, said in a short statement.
The spokesman warned that every Indian violation on the Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary would meet “a befitting response”.
Later in the evening, Chenab Rangers said Indian forces also opened unprovoked gunfire and shelling across the border in Charwa sector near the working boundary in Sialkot. Army sources said Pakistani forces responded effectively to the firing.
Also read: Pakistan capable of responding to Indian actions, says defence minister
Meanwhile, the Indian army blamed the Pakistani military of launching unprovoked fire.
An Indian army official claimed Pakistan border guards targeted 10 Indian border posts in the Poonch sector.
“Our troops retaliated. Heavy firing is going on,” he told news agency Reuters.
There was no immediate report of casualties from the Indian side.
The fresh gunfire exchange resumes fighting after the two armies abruptly stopped Thursday night following nine days of attacking each other with mortars and heavy machine guns.
Both sides have blamed the other for triggering a crisis on the border, with Pakistan suggesting that India's new government led by nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi was flexing its muscles on the dispute over Kashmir, the cause of two wars.
Related: India-Pakistan clashes escalate into a humanitarian tragedy
New Delhi claims Pakistan has ratcheted up tensions to keep alive the 67-year-old dispute and vowed a strong response to any Pakistani attempt to stir up trouble in the Kashmir region.
The two sides agreed a ceasefire in 2003 which has frayed over the past two years.
Comments (49) Closed
If the newspapers stop reporting the casualties on both sides and the respective statements from defense Ministries, this firing will die a natural death. In fact it is the Govt. heads on both sides responsible for aggravating the on going conflict. One can't help looking at the profit and loss account of this , land mass gained ...ZERO and people killed don't matter. The only people who gained from this are the media people.. a few more news papers sold ?
India and Modi seem to be sticking to the old tired lines.
Modi may be showing ill advised bravado - India is no superpower and any misadventure will cost India dearly.
I also suspect that he has been emboldened by the Americans who have opened their doors to him even though they know his background.
It is a well thought out and expected move by by India,s Nationalist Government aimed at destabilizing Pakistan and weaken her economy through war conditions on the eastern border and also to check the country,s capabilities for future aggression.
Sorry state of affairs. Both sides are now behaving irresponsibly just to show to their people that they won the argument. There are no winners in war- people dying on both sides, situation escalating to war - what are we trying to achieve.
@INDOARYAN very true. Saner voices from both side need encouragement
Please For the sake of humanity ......................instead of blaming each other both the countries should stop this nonsense to save normal people lives .....
Peace loving Indian
@INDOARYAN but that will never happen. It is prisoner's dillema.
"All it takes is a lit match stick to blow up a shop/store of fireworks". Instead of blaming each other side with a ton of explosives on either side of the border can someone check, if there are miscreants like LET and ilk who are playing this lit match stick perhaps?
The same news appeared in India couple of hours back.
Crazy nations with incapable leaders.
@INDOARYAN Well said.
Pls allow us to live peacefully
Everywhere else expat Pakistanis and Indians live in completely harmony...except in South Asia...where "politicians" control the show...
Our politicians and army should stop this non-sense and focus on economy
India and Pakistan should stop fighting over Kashmir. Let Kashmir be an independent and non-aligned country. Let 20 Million Kashmiris unite and let them one of the most prosperous and peaceful region of the world.
If both of them blame each other, then who are the culprits. As usual your non-state actors who are not in your control ?
Looks like Imran Khan is still posing a challenge to Go Nawaz Go.
@Ahmed USA I completely agree with you. Not just respect, we helped each other.
Who is to loose their jobs if there is peace ? Yes, the same people responsible for this mindless gunfire, while the innocent people living on both sides of LOC continue to pay with their lives and property and others living little further with their taxes.
European countries have fought more wars in last 100 years but they have come to their senses now, created European Union and living peacefully like a big happy family.
@Bird eye , conspiracy theorist or rumour monger?
We all want peace.,
@Ahmed USA - So true. I have Pakistani neighbors and colleagues. I don't see them any different from my other friends from India. Frankly, I really can't think of them as enemies. Unfortunately common people both sides have no people to people contact resulting in show of machoism.
@Ahmed USA : totally agree. There are more similarities than differences. Media definitely has role to play I. increasing animosity and covering only from one side.
what madness! Now people will rally around their respective armies and lose sight of what is common between them, the humanity. what we need is to get rid of war mongering and putting our armies on high pedestal. so sad.
@Poonchi ... u r absolutely right......
It is sad that most pakistani's get dishonest information in their media and from their government If there is any reason, this is the one reason why there will be a lot of tension and hate Disinformation and dishonesty is a plot to build up hate from inside the country against others. Our there, there is very little trust in Pakistan and the people there And all you are doing is getting us to dislike ypu even more .... By us I mean the east of the world
lets not forget Pakistan was the trump card for Modi and BJP election victory, Mahashtra elections are going on in india so Modi will drum up to teach Pakistan to get success watch once the elections are done these LOC violations will die down smart move Mr Modi, no wonder PM Nawaz and general Raheel are touring and paying attention to Waziristan then giving statements on the LOC situation just like their counterparts across the border
@Bird eye Your lines have been repeated umpteen times, word for word.
@ Akhtar totally agree with you
@Mckenzie it is true.dawn seems to be a very transparent news paper in Pakistan
@Ahmed USA : Everywhere else expat Pakistanis and Indians live in completely harmony...except in South Asia...where "politicians" control the show...
Enough of resources wastage - can we not get it that we just cannot have friendly relations?
No need to even treat each other as enemies. Can we all just not treat each other non-entities?
@Benaam the matter is open everybody knows the truth of war....one thing we should keep in mind war does not belong to common people its for politicians. Why so much aggression ...because we are the one who decide future of the country so request do no give importance to aggressive mind. Just oppose the action peacefully.
@Naveed Let the Kasmiris who want to go to Migrate to land of pure migrate. Reast can stay there. Let both the nations compete to make the lives of people better
@Ali , you must be talking about Pakistan only , I believe .....Don't include India in this list as we are proud of our leaders ..India has consistently produced best PM's maintaining National interest at top regardless of the party they actually belonged to ..
when will peace prevail?
@Akhtar Brother better learned the reality, before doing a lot of guess work.
would meet “a befitting response”
If you want to win, you have to do more than your opponent and not only "befitting"..
Both the countries need to focus on the country development, Day by Day $ rate/ food price are increasing and Gov need to concentrate on main Issue like - poverty, social welfare issue. they need to Invest more money on country development not to defense only..
@Altaf correction Pakistan politician and Pakistan Army
@Akhtar: could it be after Modi's visit to the US equations have changed? Think about it.
@Naveed: there are no 20 million Kashmiris!
@Altaf you have indeed hit the nail on the head!! I can only hope more Pakistanis understand that.
@Adnan Europeans have demonstrated that they have moved to the next level of Civilization while we are still grappling with medieval concepts of war.
@Akhtar I am a white australian and a friend of Pakistan. I have visited your beautiful country 6 times. My suggestion is that you should lie low and keep quiet. Modi is not a sheep like congress Manmohan Singh and if you provoke him even a little, he will destroy you. Do not play with Modi, he is dangerous. Please listen to my advice as a sympathiser and friend of Pakistan.
Please grow up, both Pakistan and India, behave like 67 year old's. Just open the borders and let people go wherever they wish to. Nobody is interested in Kashmir any longer, why make fools of selves, nobody is watching nobody is listening. Learn to live like normal people.
@Ahmed USA totally agree
@Sanjay Rao Same here in UK. I have so many Indian friends and we get on so well.
@Burjor Rustomji Well said