Five soldiers injured as Pak resorts to heavy shelling on 55 forward areas along LoC in J&K
Jammu, Feb 26: Five Army soldiers were injured and two houses damaged as Pakistani army resorted to heavy mortar shelling on 55 forward areas in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts on Tuesday, officials said, hours after IAF jets struck a JeM terror camp across the LoC.
The Pakistani army used heavy weaponry, firing 120-mm mortar targeting civilian hamlets and forward posts since 5.30 pm Tuesday, they said.
They fired from small, automatic and heavy weaponry in Krishna Gati, Balakote, Khari Karmara, Mankote, Tarkundi areas in Poonch district; Kalal, Baba Khori, Kalsian, Laam and Jhangar areas in Rajouri; and Pallanwala and Laleali sub sectors in Jammu, officials said.
In Akhnoor sector, five soldiers were injured and have been hospitalized, they said.
In Mankote sector of Poonch, two houses were damaged, they said.
The officials said Indian troops gave a "befitting reply" to the firing.
According to officials, more than a dozen ceasefire violations took place on Tuesday the fourth consecutive day of Pakistan shelling and firing on Indian posts.
Earlier Tuesday, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Nowshera sector along the Line of Control (LoC), an officer said, adding that locals in the border areas have been asked to not venture out.
Panic gripped the border areas and some locals have left their homes and moved to safer areas, multiple reports said.
Authorities have ordered a temporary closure of educational institutions in a 5-km radius along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Wednesday.
Since last Wednesday, Pakistan has violated ceasefire everyday, barring Friday, the officer said.
The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations numbering 2,936 by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border.
Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India, despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides.
Amid mounting tensions between the two countries, following the Pulwama terror attack on Feb 14 and an Indian air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed camp inside Pakistan Tuesday, people along the LoC and the International Border are living in fear.
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In biggest haul, drugs worth Rs 51 cr seized in Meghalaya, 2 held
Shillong (PTI): The Meghalaya Police seized drugs worth over Rs 51 crore, the biggest haul of narcotics in the state so far, in East Jaintia Hills district and arrested two Mizoram-based persons in this connection, a senior officer said on Saturday.
The seizure was made during a coordinated naka-checking conducted by the police and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) personnel in the Ratacherra area on Friday, he said.
During the operation, a vehicle with three persons, including the driver, on board was intercepted and searched in accordance with due legal procedures.
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Upon checking, 19 plastic soap cases, containing suspected heroin weighing 203.7 grams, were recovered from the possession of one of the three persons, the officer said.
The search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a blue-coloured trolley bag belonging to another occupant of the vehicle.
Suspected crystal meth (methamphetamine) tablets weighing 10.145 kilograms were found in the bag, the police officer said.
'Meth' tablets are banned in India.
Two of the three occupants of the vehicle were arrested, and a preliminary investigation suggested that they are part of an interstate and cross-border drug trafficking syndicate, the officer said.
"The total value of the seized contraband is estimated to be around Rs 51.13 crore", ANTF chief Vikash Kumar told PTI.
The arrested persons hail from Mizoram, he said.
A case has been registered at the ANTF police station, and an investigation is underway to establish the forward and backward linkages related to the seizure, the officer added.
