A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was injured early Wednesday following unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector, the BSF confirmed.
The incident occurred at around 2:35 AM on September 11, when Pakistani forces opened fire without provocation. The BSF troops retaliated swiftly. “One BSF soldier was injured in the firing from across the border. Our forces are maintaining a high state of alert,” read a statement from the BSF.
Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the border several times in recent years, including four breaches last year, one of which resulted in the death of a BSF soldier.
India and Pakistan renewed their commitment to uphold the 2003 ceasefire agreement following talks between their respective Directors General of Military Operations in February 2021. Prior to this, there were 72 instances of cross-border firing along the International Border and the Line of Control.
The year 2020 saw the highest number of ceasefire violations since the 2003 agreement, with 5,133 incidents recorded. In 2019, there were 3,479 violations, following India’s revocation of Article 370, which ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
