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Pak moves artillery guns to LoC opposite Mendhar
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Tribune News Service

Indian jawan hurt in firing Pakistani troops opened fire in Mendhar and Balakote sectors on Friday night from 11.15 pm to 3 am and in Saujiyan area from 4 am to 4.15 am; the Indian Army gave an equal response Pakistani troops again opened fire in Pallanwala area of Akhnoor sub division on friday night injuring soldier Amit Singh of 28 Rajputana Rifles, reports said.

Jammu, August 31
On the lines of what they did in Kargil War in 1999, the Pakistan Army has adopted an aggressive posture moving artillery guns along the Line of Control (LoC) opposite Mendhar sector in Poonch district, 230 km northwest of Jammu.

“We have observed artillery movement opposite Mendhar sector. While an artillery battery usually comprises six guns, they (Pak Army) have certainly moved two to three artillery guns opposite Mendhar,” said a senior Army officer.

So far, Pakistan had been using battalion level weapons -- small arms fire and automatics, including rocket propelled grenades and mortars (82 mm) -- drawing similar response from the Indian side, he said.

Though the artillery has not been used by them till now, but possibility of using it (following artillery movement opposite Mendhar) cannot be ruled out, he said. The officer said the use of artillery amounts to war. “We are keeping a constant watch on developments unfolding on the other side and accordingly devising our strategy,” he said.

Heavy shelling by Pak troops in June last year had forced India to eventually move an artillery battalion from Mendhar to the Krishna Ghati sector but it was never used. The stand-off ended only after a Brigade-commander level meeting that paved the way for the resumption of the trans-border trade and travel via Chakan-da-Bagh.

The officer also said that senior officers of the Pakistan Army in the past couple of days have conducted aerial and ground recce on the other side of the LoC opposite Poonch, Saujiyan, Mendhar and Hamirpur belts in Poonch sector.

Since August 8, the Indian Army has destroyed 15 Pakistani posts and several bunkers opposite Poonch, Mendhar and Hamirpur areas with weapons such as mortars, rocket launchers and automatic weapons, including anti-material guns.