First mortar shells then sweets for India on R-Day

Pakistani troops extended greetings and exchanged sweets with Indian soldiers in two sectors along the Line of Control on Republic Day on Tuesday even as there were ceasefire violations by Pakistan border guards along the frontier in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan Army personnel led by a Colonel-rank officer presented boxes of sweets to Indian Army officers at forward defence locations and crossing-points at Chakan-Da-Bagh and Tatapani in Poonch and Mendhar sectors along the LoC.

"They greeted us and exchanged sweets with our troops on R-day at the two different FDLs in Poonch district this morning," a senior army officer told PTI.

Even as Pakistani armymen were busy greeting their counterparts, Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing on forward border outpost of Alfa Machail in Kanachak sub-sector along the international border in Jammu district.

Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the LoC by opening fire on the Indian forward positions, BSF officials said, adding this was the second such incident since Monday.

They had also violated the ceasefire on Monday night by firing three mortar shells, which exploded some distance away from an FDL on the Indian side in Poonch district.

Indian troops stationed in Uri sector of north Kashmir presented baskets of sweets to their Pakistani counterparts. Troops of Four Jat regiment presented sweets to Pakistani soldiers at Kaman Post, the last Indian Territory in the Uri sector, 126 km from Jammu, official sources said.