Jammu, August 15
A day after Pakistani Rangers exchanged sweets with their Indian counterparts in the Ranbirsinghpura to celebrate their independence day, the former resorted to unprovoked heavy firing on the day when India was celebrating its Independence Day.

Pakistani troops fired heavy mortars and rockets on two Indian positions in the Jammu region, violating the ceasefire agreement twice in the past 24 hours.

The forward Abdullain post of the BSF in Ranbirsinghpura came under heavy rocket fire from Pakistani side around 2:30 a.m. last night.

J. B. Sangwan, BSF DIG of the Jammu range, said: "Five rockets were fired on our forward posts in the R.S. Pura sector from Pakistani territory. However, all these rockets missed the target and exploded in the open fields. We did not retaliate to the fire."

Sangwan said that the Indian side had conveyed its concern to their Pakistani counterparts and requested for an immediate flag meeting.

Maj-Gen D.L. Chowdhary, GOC of Jammu-based Tiger Division of the Army, said: "The Pakistani side wants to take advantage of the present turmoil in the state and violates the ceasefire so as to push in the maximum number of trained terrorists inside our territory." Today's ceasefire violation in the R.S. Pura sector is the sixth in three weeks and second in the past 24 hours.

Earlier, Pakistani troops had used heavy mortars on a forward Indian position in Sabzia in the Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch, Lt Col. S.D. Goswami, Jammu-based PRO of the Ministry of Defence, said.