At least four Pakistani troops, two of them officers, were killed during continued violation of Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) for third consecutive day by Pakistan army at Rakhchikri and Rawlakote sectors on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on December 1, reports Daily Excelsior. Official reports confirmed the killing of four Pakistan army personnel and injuries to a civilian on the Indian side saying intense retaliatory action by the troops was necessitated as forward posts of the enemy were targeting civilian locations at Qasba and Karni villages of Poonch, leading to panic among the border dwellers. Identity of slain Pakistan army personnel couldn’t be ascertained immediately. Further, they said, this was the third consecutive day of Pakistan army shelling and during last two days the Pakistani troops had targeted Shahpur, Krishna Ghati and Balakote sub sectors, all falling in Poonch. A 55-year old civilian Jamaal-ud-Din was seriously injured in Pakistan shelling in Qasba village of Poonch on the afternoon of December 1, as a mortar shell fired by Pakistani troops exploded near his house. His house was also damaged.
It is to be noted that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had recently visited the forward villages in Kotli and Rawlakote sectors of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and reviewed situation prevailing there with top Generals of the country. He was reported to have directed the Pakistan army to heavily shell civilian areas on the Indian side and push trained militants into the Indian territory. Since the visit of Imran Khan, Pakistan army has regularly been shelling civilian areas in Poonch district, sources pointed out.