India retaliates strongly as Pak troops injure 3 jawans

Using heavy calibre guns, Indian Army retaliated strongly after Pakistani troops on Thursday resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing with rocket and mortar shell attacks on LoC posts in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector that injured three Army jawans and a civilian.

This is the 11th ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the past five days, Army officials said.

Defence Spokesman (Jammu) S N Acharya said in a official release that Pakistan Army started unprovoked firing at Indian forward posts in Mendhar sector from 06:30 am.

"Own troops retaliated immediately with heavy calibre weapons," he said. The exchange of fire was still going on tonight.

Pakistani troops opened fire along the Line of Control (LoC) on several Indian forward posts in Balakote belt of Poonch district, Army officials said.

They fired automatic weapons, rockets and mortar shells in which three jawans received minor injuries. The jawans have been shifted to hospital, the officials said.A shell of 82-mm mortar fired by Pakistan troops fell in Sanjote forward area of Mendhar tehsil resulting in injury to Parvaiz, a civilian, who was shifted to GMC hospital in Jammu.

A rocket fired by Pakistani troops fell and exploded on a cowshed in Basonia village of Mendhar this afternoon resulting in death of a dozen cattle.Under attack from opposition parties over Government's response on the killing of five Indian soldiers, Defence Minister A K Antony had said the Armed Forces have the freedom to respond appropriately to a developing situation along the LoC.

"The Armed Forces have the freedom to respond to a developing situation there (along the LoC) appropriately," he said, replying to questions after the launch of 37,500-tonne aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in Kochi on August 12.