Srinagar/Anantnag, Nov 8
A teenage girl and a soldier were killed in a first major ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir's Uri sector since 2012, on Saturday.

Defence sources said Pakistan troops fired with heavy machine guns and mortar shells at several Indian posts in Kamalkote sector, 130 km from Srinagar, around 6 pm. Some of the mortar shells hit the civilian areas, creating panic among the residents.

"A havaldar and a 17-year old girl, Gulshan Bano, were killed in the unprovoked firing," a defence source said. The sources said the Indian troops guarding the posts near the LoC fired back and the exchange of fire continued for almost two hours.

The Army, which has conveyed a hotline message to Pakistan, said they were trying to ascertain why the violation took place in the sector.

"The sector has been relatively peaceful and there has been no infiltration from Uri. We have cross-LoC trade on almost a daily basis from here and are surprised to see Pakistan troops firing at Indian posts," said a senior Army officer.

The LoC in Kashmir has remained by and large peaceful unlike the Jammu region, where violations have happened both along the LoC and the International Border.

In Kashmir, less than a dozen ceasefire violations have been reported from Gulmarg in Baramulla district to Gurez sector in Bandipore district this year.

The latest violation in Kashmir had taken place in Gulmarg sector last month. It is manned by Baramulla-based 19 Infantry Division.

Today's ceasefire violation took place in the area of the same division. Since India and Pakistan announced ceasefire on the Kashmir border in 2003, there have been nearly 50 major and minor violations along the LoC in the Kashmir region.

The last major ceasefire violation in Uri took place in October 2012 at Churanda Uri, which left three civilians, including a woman dead.