Pak troops violate ceasefire in Poonch, fire mortars

Jammu: Pakistani troops fired mortars along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, prompting the army to retaliate. There was no casualty on the Indian side.
“There was unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in Krishna Ghati Sector in Poonch district from 1200 hours, using 82 mm mortars and automatic weapons,” a defence spokesman said.
“Army took positions and gave a befitting response. Intermittent firing is going on,” he said.
This was the second ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Poonch district in the past three days. On March 9, army jawan Deepak Jagannath Ghadge was killed when Pakistani soldiers initiated indiscriminate and unprovoked firing along the LoC in Poonch.
Meanwhile, the nearly 300-km long Srinagar- Jammu National Highway was on Sunday thrown open for one-way traffic, four days after heavy snowfall and rains led to its closure. Meanwhile, sun shone bright today across Kashmir after the days of rains and snowfall.
“Traffic has been allowed to ply on the national highway after the road was cleared off debris of landslides,” an official of the Traffic Department here said. He said one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar was allowed to ply on the highway today. “The stranded vehicles were cleared and one-way traffic from Jammu was allowed to ply,” the official said. (PTI)