Pakistan Army troops and Indian Border Security Forces exchanged fire along the Line of Control in the Neza Pir sector early Sunday morning, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.
The statement claimed Indian troops along the border "resorted to heavy unprovoked firing and shelling" at around 11:40pm on Saturday. The "unprovoked firing" continued until about 4:45am, the ISPR said, adding that Pakistan Army troops provided a 'befitting reponse'.
No loss of life or property has been reported so far, the ISPR said.
This is the first instance of cross-border firing reported in nearly six months, according to NDTV.
A border ceasefire agreement signed by India and Pakistan in 2003 has largely held, but both frequently accuse each other of breaching it.India’s Border Security Force (BSF) resorted to ‘unprovoked’ firing at the Line of Control (LoC) in Neza Pir sector on Saturday night.
The military’s media wing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “Unprovoked firing which started at 11:40pm last night lasted till 04:45am.” However, no loss of life has been reported so far.
“Pakistan Army troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing and shelling,” the statement added.
The ceasefire violation comes after a long lull and days after Pakistani High Commissioner to New Delhi said the peace process between Pakistan and India is suspended at present.
“As far as I know there is no meeting scheduled between foreign secretaries [of the two countries] yet,” Abdul Basit said, while addressing an event at the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia in New Delhi.
Basit’s statement came as Pakistan’s top military leadership vowed to thwart the designs of ‘hostile intelligence agencies’ against the country in what appeared to be a reference to the arrest and confession of Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav last month.
The United States has urged Pakistan and India to engage in dialogue after the Pakistani envoy in New Delhi suggested that talks between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are suspended at the moment.
Hotline contact between DGMOs
Meanwhile, a hotline contact between DGMOs of Pakistan and India was established in the backdrop of ceasefire violation.
According to the ISPR, issues related to ceasefire violation across the LoC discussed.
Pakistani DGMO protested against the unprovoked initiation of fire by Indian troops.
