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India-Pakistan
Pakistani troops targeting Indian posts: ISPR
2016-11-24
[DAWN] ISPR in a statement confirmed that Pak and Indian troops had exchanged fire across the LoC on Wednesday.

Indian forces were targeting the civilian population, ISPR said, adding that a civilian bus and ambulance were fired at.

"An intense exchange of fire is ongoing as Pak troops target Indian posts."

Earlier, ISPR said, "Indian resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on LoC in Shahkot, Jura, Battal, Karela, Bagh , Bagsar, Hotspring sectors today."

Federal cabinet condemns 'unprovoked' Indian firing
The federal cabinet during a meeting in Islamabad today strongly condemned the 'unprovoked' Indian firing along the LoC and extended its condolences to the affected families, Radio Pakistain reported.

The latest incident of cross-border firing comes just a day after the Indian army claimed three of its soldiers were killed along the LoC and threatened Pak forces of retribution.

The Indian army also claimed that the body of one of the dead soldiers had been "mutilated."

The Foreign Office however rejected the claim, saying that the "reports are a fabrication and a blatant attempt to malign Pakistain".

'Situation critical along LoC'
AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir who has returned from Neelum valley said the situation was critical all along the LoC.

"I call upon the government of Pakistain to raise the unprovoked shelling of civilian populations as an issue in the UN Security Council to build pressure on India," he told journalists in Muzaffarabad.

He said since Neelum valley was highly vulnerable to Indian guns, "a great trial had begun for its nearly 250,000 residents."

He claimed that Indian troops were not even allowing transportation of injured persons to Muzaffarabad.

Passenger bus targeted in Lawat

[DAWN] "Indian troops hit a passenger coaster with small and big arms in the town of Lawat, killing nine passengers and injuring 11 others," said Jamil Mir, superintendent of police (SP) in Neelum Valley.

"Four bodies and all 11 injured persons have arrived in District Headquarters Hospital Athmuqam, but five bodies are still in the coaster," SP Mir said.

The coaster was on its way to Muzaffarabad. Lawat is located some 90 kilometres northeast of here in the upper belt of valley that straddles the restive Line of Control (LoC).

SP Mir said shelling in Neelum valley had begun at about 3:00am, but intensified in the morning. Officials from other areas had similar stories.

Cross-border firing a new normal

[DAWN] Tensions between Pakistain and India have been running high following an alleged 'surgical strike', unrest in Kashmire and the Uri army base attack in September.

Since then there have been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing in Kashmire, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries including of civilians.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up a drive to isolate Pakistain diplomatically after the Uri army base attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. Hours after the attack occurred, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed Pakistain a 'terrorist state' and accused Pakistain of involvement.

The Uri attack occurred days before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
was set to address the United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
General Assembly regarding Indian human rights
...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
violations in held Kashmire.

Following the attack, India claimed it had conducted a cross-border 'surgical strike' against 'launch pads of terror' in Azad Jammu and Kashmire -- a claim Pakistain has strongly rejected.

Pakistain maintains that India is attempting to divert the world's attention away from atrocities committed by government forces in India-held Kashmire.

Pakistain and India have, most recently, locked horns over Kashmire since Indian forces stepped up a crackdown against protesters after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by government forces in July.

3 Pakistan Army soldiers killed in exchange of fire with Indian troops near LoC

[DAWN] Three Pakistain Army soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian troops near the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

"Three Pak soldiers valiantly embraced shahadat at the Line of Control while responding to Indian unprovoked firing," the ISPR said.

The army's media wing identified the soldiers as Captain Taimoor Ali Khan, Havaldar Mushtaq Hussain and Lance Naik Ghulam Hussain.

An ISPR statement also said that seven Indian soldiers confirmed dead in retaliatory fire. The ISPR added that the exchange of fire between Pak and Indian troops is ongoing.

"It may be mentioned here that in order to distract attention from the real issue of atrocities in India-held Kashmire by Indian troops, they are now targeting civilians population across the LoC towards the Pakistain side," the ISPR claimed.

Earlier today, Indian troops targeted a passenger bus near the LoC, killing nine people and injuring 11 others in Lawat.

In a separate incident of Indian shelling in Nakyal and Tatta Pani, one person was killed and seven others injured.

One killed, seven injured in Nakyal, Tatta Pani

[DAWN] In Nakyal, one person was killed and six others injured.

Sardar Zeeshan Nisar, assistant commissioner of Nakyal, in the southern Kotli district said, "Shelling in my area has started at about 8:40 am, and it has been indiscriminate."

The assistant commissioner said six people were injured, and one person who was earlier wounded had succumbed to his injuries.

"So far, four injured persons have been brought to a health facility," Nisar said earlier, "But I am afraid there may be more casualties, as shelling is ongoing."

Tatta Pani sector of district Kotli was also receiving shells. According to an official at the office of the deputy commissioner Kotli, one person was injured in the area.

Locals in Battal, Madarpur sectors of district Poonch said their areas were also hit by heavy shelling.

"There were unconfirmed reports about some people having been injured, but we are awaiting confirmation," a police official told Dawn from Madarpur.
Posted by:Fred

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