India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Indian Government on Tuesday protested against the Pakistan Army violating cease-fire obligations by firing on army posts in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir . Pakistani troops reportedly fired grenades, bombs and mortar shells. The Indian side retaliated with gunshots. The exchange continued till the wee hours of Tuesday. Locals urged the authorities to investigate the matter. "This firing has been continuing for the last five days and there is so much fear that we stay inside our houses from 10 am to 2 am in the morning. We did not eat anything and we want that there should be investigations as to why this is happening. Pakistan has really troubled us and they are not letting us eat food without any cause. They throw bombs and are constantly firing and we are very troubled," said Shah Mohammad, a local. Several officers have sustained minor injuries and this was the fourth incident of firing that took place in a row. "There has been a lot of firing since the last few days. There are so many bomb blasts that the walls of our house vibrate and when we sleep, we feel that our house is going to collapse. We are facing so many problems and we can't even sleep peacefully. In 2002, we had migrated and I feel we will have to again resort to migration once again," said Arvind, a local. Meanwhile, the Rawalkot-Poonch bus service has been suspended because of heavy firing. "Yes, there has been ceasefire violation. Such incidents are common and happen every now and then, but this time it has taken a serious turn. This is because there have been several casualties, which is why trade is halted. So, we are waiting for the authorities to hold a meeting and resolve the issue, so that we can resume the services," said Ajit Kumar Sahu, Development Commissioner, Poonch. The restive region of Kashmir has witnessed numerous militant attacks, insurgency, and infiltration attempts from across the border in the last two decades.

India protests over Pakistan ceasefire violation in Poonch