The Army had said on Thursday and reiterated it on Friday that the Pakistani troops started unprovoked firing at several Indian forward posts along the de facto border in Balakote area of Poonch district from 6.30 am on Thursday.
The Indian troops retaliated immediately with heavy calibre weapons and fighting continued into the night. A report said a civilian who was working with the Indian Army as porter and was injured in Thursday’s shelling has died in a Jammu hospital. The Army said its strong response to frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan was aimed at conveying “in no uncertain terms India’s intention to protect its borders”.
Reports reaching Jammu and Srinagar said that massive exchanges of fire were underway between Indian and Pakistani troops in a couple of sectors along the LoC, mainly Poonch’s Balakota and Sabzian areas.
In its counter claim, Pakistan had on Thursday alleged that it were the Indian troops who resorted to “unprovoked” mortar shelling towards Nakyal sector of Kotli district, injuring six civilians. “Mortar shelling on a house injured two civilians inside and damaged the house,” a military spokesperson said in Islamabad. He added four other civilians were injured in Indian firing in its neighbourhood.