Four civilians and one soldier of the Pakistan Army were martyred on Friday in "unprovoked and indiscriminate" firing by Indian troops from across the restive Line of Control (LoC) in several areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the military's media wing said.
At least 12 civilians and five soldiers also sustained injuries in the ceasefire violations in what appeared to be the biggest escalation in hostilities on the de facto border in months.
India also suffered "substantial losses" in terms of troops and material in Pakistan Army's "befitting reply" to the firing, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.Indian Army in a bid to “ward off humiliation” resorted to targeting civilian population along the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in the martyrdom of four civilians and one Pakistan Army soldier.
A report by The Hindu newspaper said 10 people, including six civilians, three army soldiers and one Border Security Force (BSF) soldier, were killed and more than 20 others injured in firing by Pakistani troops in four districts of Indian-occupied Kashmir.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Khan Afridi, shared a video of the aftermath of the Indian firing. "Indian coward army is targeting civilian population across the LoC! Targeting civilians is a WAR CRIME!!!" he tweeted.Giving background of the latest flare-up, the ISPR said on the night of November 7-8, the Indian army reportedly had an 'encounter' with a few freedom fighters in Kupwara district, "well within" occupied Jammu and Kashmir's territory, opposite Neelum Valley in AJK. During the clash, Indian troops suffered some casualties including four soldiers.
"To ward off the humiliation faced by Indian Army in front of domestic audience, instead of finding the reasons from within and addressing the same, on November 13, 2020, Indian Army opted for resorting to unprovoked and indiscriminate fire of all calibres, including artillery and heavy mortars, along [the] LoC in various sectors of AJK," the statement added.
The areas targeted by Indian troops included Neelum Valley (Nekrun, Kel, Sharda, Dudhnial, Shahkot, Jura, Nauseri sectors), Leepa Valley (Danna, Mandal and Kayani sectors), Jhelum Valley (Chham and Pandu sectors), and Bagh Valley (Pirkanthi, Sankh, Haji Pir, Bedori and Kailer sectors).
Besides engaging with Pakistan Army posts and positions, Indian troops also targeted the civilian population along the LoC "in utter disregard to all international obligations and human rights", leaving four people dead and 12 others injured.
"In response to this provocative act, Pakistan Army gave a befitting reply to the Indian Army, and effectively targeted those Indian posts which engaged innocent civilians," the press release added.
It said "substantial losses, both in terms of men and material, have been incurred on to Indian troops" that have also been accepted by Indian media. India's confirmed losses are "much more than being acknowledged", it added.
During the exchange of fire, a Pakistan Army soldier was martyred, while five others were injured.
"Such cowardly acts of targeting innocent civilians reflect sheer lack of morality, utter un-professionalism and total disregard [of] human rights by the Indian Army and are also [a] clear violation of [the] ceasefire understanding of 2003," the military's media wing stated.
It reiterated that "Pakistan is a peace-loving country and [the] Pakistan Army pursue the same aspirations."
"However, we stand committed to defend the motherland and our Kashmiri brethren even at the cost of our blood and lives," it said, adding that "all such provocative acts shall continue to be responded in the same coin."
In a tweet, AJK President Masood Khan strongly condemned the civilian casualties caused by the Indian firing. "Targeting unarmed civilian, especially women and children is the height of cruelty and reflects the criminal behaviour of the Indian army," he wrote.
In a statement on Friday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on the night between November 7 and 8, Indian troops reportedly had an encounter with freedom fighters in Kupwara district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), wherein it suffered casualties including its four soldiers were killed.
“To ward off the humiliation faced by Indian Army in front of domestic audience, instead of finding the reasons from within and addressing the same, on 13 November 2020, Indian Army opted for resorting to unprovoked and indiscriminate fire of all calibres, including artillery and heavy mortars, along LoC in various sectors of AJK [Azad Jammu and Kashmir],” the military’s media wing said.
The targeted areas included Neelum Valley (Nekrun, Kel, Sharda, Dudhnial, Shahkot, Jura, Nauseri sectors), Leepa Valley (Danna, Mandal and Kayani sectors), Jhelum Valley (Chham and Pandu sectors), and Bagh Valley (Pirkanthi, Sankh, Haji Pir, Bedori and Kailer sectors).
In this deliberate attempt, the ISPR said that Indian Army did not limit itself to engagement of military posts/positions, rather, in utter disregard to all international obligations and human rights, targeted civil population martyring four civilians and wounding 12 others.
In response to the provocative act, the Pakistan soldiers gave a befitting reply to the Indian troops, and effectively targeted those posts which targeted innocent civilians.
As a result, substantial losses, both in terms of men and material, have been incurred on to Indian troops which have also been accepted by Indian media, the ISPR said, adding that confirmed losses are much higher than being acknowledged.
In this valiant act, one brave soldier of Pakistan Army embraced shahadat [martyrdom] while five others got injured. “Such cowardly acts of targeting innocent civilians reflect sheer lack of morality, utter un-professionalism and total disregard to human rights by the Indian army and are also clear violation of ceasefire understanding of 2003.”
The official statement reiterated that Pakistan is a peace loving country and the Pakistan Army pursue the same aspirations.
“However, we stand committed to defend the motherland and our Kashmiri brethren even at the cost of our blood and lives. We assure, that all such provocative acts shall continue to be responded in the same coin.”
