New Delhi, Oct 27 (EFE).- India accused Pakistan on Friday of wounding a civilian and a soldier in a violation of the ceasefire on the border of the disputed region of Kashmir that led to an exchange of fire between both countries.
“On the evening of October 26, 2023, at about 2000 hrs, Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing along the Indo-Pak International Border in Sector Jammu. In response, BSF troops immediately retaliated to the firing,” India’s Border Security Force (BSF) said in a statement posted on X.
At 9:15 pm, the Pakistan Rangers “started mortar firing targeting Border outposts and civilian areas,” the BSF said.
Some of the shells landed in the town of Arnia, injuring a woman, it added.
A BSF member also sustained injuries due to the shelling around 10 pm although he is stable.
The exchanges of fire along the border continued until almost 3 am on Friday.
“BSF remains vigilant and continues to monitor the developments closely while assessing the situation and remains alert to respond as necessary to ensure the safety and security of the border and its residents,” the Indian border force said.
The Himalayan Kashmir region has been at the center of a bloody territorial dispute between India and Pakistan since the two South Asian rivals won their independence in 1947.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the region as both claim the idyllic territory in its entirety.
In November 2003, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire along the so-called Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two South Asian rivals.
But since 2008, there have been intermittent violations by both sides.
After current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, the ceasefire violations witnessed a sharp spike.
India’s defense ministry told parliament in August that 24 military personnel and 22 civilians had died in 2020 due to violations of the ceasefire.
Both nuclear powers renewed the ceasefire in February 2021, drastically reducing the number of incidents on the border to the point that 2022 ended without any casualties. EFE
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