M A I N   N E W S

Pak pounds Poonch posts with grenades
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 27
Pakistan violated ceasefire for the fifth time this month, with its troops pounding Indian forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), mortars and heavy machine gun fire on Saturday.

The Army said it gave a "calibrated" response to Pakistan's unprovoked act and both sides traded heavy fire for over five hours.

"There has been a ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops along the LoC in the Doda Battalion area of the Poonch Sector, without any provocation from the Indian side today," said Jammu-based officiating Defence PRO, SN Acharya.

Reports from Pakistan quoted its chief military spokesman Maj General Asim Saleem Bajwa saying that one Pakistani soldier was killed and another injured in firing by the Indian Army. Maj General Bajwa identified slain soldier as Asim Iqbal and injured as Muhammad Khan.

Rangers open fire; BSF guard hurt

Pak Rangers on Saturday opened fire and critically injured a BSF personnel near Kothe border outpost along the 192 km long International Border in Hiranagar, Samba Sector.