15 mortars fired from Pakistan side: India
JAMMU, Jan 18: Around 15 mortars fired from Pakistan landed in Indian territory on Tuesday night for the first time in more than a year, a police spokesman said.
The police control room spokesman said the mortars, which were fired between 5:30pm and 8:15pm (1200-1445 GMT), came from across the border and occurred in India's forward Durga Post area in the Poonch sector of occupied Kashmir.
"Some 15 mortar shells were fired (but) it is not yet clear whether the shells were fired by militants or Pakistani troops," he said, adding five militants had been killed in an encounter with Indian troops in Mendhar sector of the same district on early Tuesday morning. The official said no damage had been reported on the Indian side as some of the shells exploded in open fields. No retaliatory fire was reported. -AFP
OUR DELHI CORRESPONDENT ADDS: Pakistani troops opened fire on Tuesday in the Poonch sector across the Jammu and Kashmir, breaking a cease fire observed there since November 2003, Indian news reports said.
The reports late on Tuesday followed comments earlier in the day by Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee who said New Delhi could review its decision to reduce troops in the Himalayan region if the situation so demanded.
"There was no response from the Indian side," the report said but added a twist to the report, saying: "A day after an infiltration attempt was foiled in the area, the Pakistani army today fired supposedly to give cover to infiltrators."
Mr Mukherjee, speaking ahead of the reported incident, said the decision to withdraw Indian troops was reversible. "The decision was taken in the context of a particular situation.
It is always subject to review. If the number of infiltrators increase or the situation deteriorates, of course there will be a review of this decision," he told reporters after an Investiture Ceremony of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) at their Republic Day camp here.
Replying to a question on recent militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Mukherjee said the decision would be reviewed "as and when the situation demands".