JAMMU– The Indian Army responded swiftly and proportionately on Wednesday after Pakistani forces initiated unprovoked firing for the sixth consecutive day along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, Pakistani troops opened small arms fire during the night of April 29-30 across the LoC in the Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor sectors of the Union Territory. “Indian Army troops responded swiftly and proportionately,” the spokesperson confirmed.
The latest violation follows similar unprovoked firings on April 28-29 in areas opposite Kupwara and Baramulla districts, as well as Akhnoor in Jammu district. Indian officials have described the Army’s response to these provocations as measured, effective, and consistent with the rules of engagement.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified following the April 22 terrorist attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, where 26 civilians — including 25 tourists and a local resident — were brutally killed by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives. The attack has drawn widespread condemnation across India, with calls for decisive action against those responsible.
In his first public comments following the Pahalgam massacre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed that the terrorists, along with their handlers and sponsors, would be relentlessly pursued. “They will be hunted down to the ends of the earth,” Modi said.
Following a high-level security meeting chaired by the Prime Minister — which included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force — the armed forces were given full operational freedom to determine the timing and nature of India’s response.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also met with Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi in Srinagar to review the security situation. According to officials, the L-G directed the Army to use “whatever force is necessary” to bring the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack to justice.
In a show of zero tolerance for terrorism and its support networks, security forces have ramped up actions against overground workers (OGWs) and sympathizers. Last Friday, the homes of two LeT terrorists — Adil Hussain Thokar and Asif Sheikh — were demolished in the Tral and Bijbehara areas. Both individuals have been linked to the Pahalgam attack. Authorities have now demolished the houses of ten active terrorists in the Kashmir Valley as part of an ongoing crackdown.
On Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attack, calling it a “dastardly act of terrorism,” and reaffirming the state’s commitment to defeating terrorism in all its forms.
As cross-border firing and counterterrorism operations continue, India has made clear that it will respond firmly to aggression while taking a hard line against those who support or enable terrorism. (Source: IANS)
