Pak mobilises its army
New Delhi/Srinagar/ Islamabad: Reports from across the border indicated on Friday that Pakistan was cancelling the leave of its soldiers and preparing for a major mobilisation on its side of the Line of Control, and defence minister A.K. Antony said the “tragic provocative action” by Pakistan (a reference to the killing of two Indian soldiers and beheading of one of them) was a “turning point”.
While the Indian Army denied reports of any fresh firing at the LoC on Friday, and also denied media reports that troops of the 13 Rajputana Rifles — the unit that lost two men earlier — had refused to eat till they were allowed to retaliate against the Pakistan Army, some Army sources in Udhampur indicated that the two armies had exchanged small arms fire along the LoC in the Poonch sector.
These reports claimed the Pakistani side opened fire first, but Army sources in New Delhi insisted there had been no firing between the two sides on Friday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan decided to suspend the ‘Carvan-e-Aman’ bus service between Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and J&K.
Infiltration has increased, says Antony
Defence minister A.K. Antony on Friday said the incidents of attempted infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir and ceasefire violations from across the border had increased in the past few months.
Talking tough, the minister said India had an adequate number of troops guarding the LoC, and that the Army was capable of handling any situation.
The government said the Poonch trade had stopped due to “local circumstances”. Reports from the Chakan-da-Bagh crossing point (in J&K) suggested Pakistan had also decided to suspend the cross-LoC bus service after it shut the door to 25 trucks from the Indian side on Thursday.
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