MUZAFFARABAD, July 20: Indian snipers have killed at least four people in Azad Kashmir even after a ceasefire between the Indian and Pakistani in Nov 2003, Dawn learnt on Wednesday. Apart from these killings, three civilian deaths were caused when explosive materials, lobbed by the Indian troops from across the heavily militarized Line of Control went off in different border areas of district Kotli, according to official sources.

The latest victim of LoC violation was Darra Sher Khan village of southern Poonch district in which an AJK national was kidnapped by Indian troops on Monday. Islamabad lodged a strong protest with New Delhi and got the hostage released after army officials from both sides held a flag meeting on Tuesday.

India and Pakistan had struck a ceasefire along LoC on November 26, 2003 and began a tentative peace process after going to the brink of a fourth war.

The truce brought much sought-after relief to residents of border areas where skirmishes and artillery duals between rival armies had been causing civilian casualties.

However, hardly three weeks after the truce, a sniper shot from across the LoC hit a 25-year old Tasleem Akhtar in the back, killing her on the spot in Balakot village of Kotli district.

AJK authorities, however’ dismissed speculations that the killing was a “planned act of ceasefire violation,” and asserted that it could be “an individual act of some happy Indian soldier.”

Sources said another casualty along the LoC occurred on July 12 in Balakot village when one Abdul Khaliq was hit by the Indian troops while he was cutting fodder for his cattle.

Earlier on June 20, Mohammad Iqbal fell victim to an Indian bullet when he accidentally got close to the unmarked line in Janjot Bahadar village. Prior to this incident Zakir Mohammad had lost life while cutting fuel wood along the LoC in Nidheri village, sources said.

They, however, made it clear that all the killings had been caused by snipers, and not by shelling which used to be order of the day prior to the ceasefire.

Separately, in March last yea, two real brothers were killed and four others, all under 10 years, were injured in Ghab Mohra village while another teenaged boy was killed in Uli Gala village when explosives “tossed by Indian troops went off,” they said.

In January 2005, two incidents of ceasefire violation by Indian troops were reported from Poonch district but India had rejected the charge.

The first, involving small arms fire, was reported on January 21 and the second on Jan 29. Fortunately, there were no casualties on both occasions, according to sources.

Prior to that India had alleged that mortar bombs were fired from Pakistani territory into held Kashmir on two consecutive days. However, Pakistan had also denied having violated the ceasefire, saying that the mortars had been fired from within the Indian held Kashmir.