Pak breaches new ceasefire pact, opens fire along IB

Jammu: Pakistani Rangers violated the ceasefire by opening fire along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Monday, a senior BSF officer said.

A BSF spokesman said this is first-ever ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the IB after the two countries signed a fresh agreement to maintain calm along the border on February 25 this year .

"Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing along IB at 0615 hours in Ramgarh sector", Inspector General of BSF, Jammu frontier, N S Jamwal said. He added that there was no casualty in the firing.

The BSF spokesman said Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing on a patrolling party ahead of the fencing.

India and Pakistan had agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors in the February agreement.

The two countries had earlier signed a ceasefire agreement in 2003, but it was hardly followed in letter and spirit with more violations than observance of the pact.

The director generals (DGs) of Military Operations from both sides had committed to abide by the truce deal that was first signed in November 2003.

The offer to renew the truce deal had come from Pakistan.

Indian security forces have maintained that Pakistan has used ceasefire violations to provide cover for infiltration of terrorists from across the LoC and IB over the years.

During a flare up along the 200 km long international border and 744 km long Line of Control (LoC), farmers living on the boundary bear the maximum brunt of Pak firing and shelling.

Following the renewal of the ceasefire agreement, farmers in Hiranagar sector of Kathua and Jammu district were able to harvest wheat crop near the border fence after 18 years. The relentless firing and shelling by Pakistani forces had scared them away all these years.