Jawans prepared to respond to ceasefire violations: Jaitley

In a strong message to Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday asserted that Indian armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any ceasefire violation by it.

"Our jawans are fully prepared to respond to any ceasefire violations by Pakistan," the defence minister said in a Facebook post after his visit to border posts in Amritsar in Punjab.

In Amritsar for a day, he visited the Kasowal BN enclave in Dera Baba Nanak sector and interacted with Army and BSF jawans guarding the International Border.

His comments on ceasefire violations comes on a day when Pakistan troops resorted to heavy mortar shelling and fired with automatic weapons at 20 Border Out Posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Jammu sector, leaving a villager injured.

This is the 11th ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along LoC and IB in Jammu region during the past 10 days and the 12th in August this year.

Against the backdrop of repeated ceasefire violations in recent weeks and strongly disapproving the invitation by Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit to all the Kashmiri separatist leaders "for consultations" in Delhi, India has called off the Foreign Secretary-level talks in Islamabad slated for August 25.

An Army release in Chandigarh said the defence minister motivated the troops and announced incentives for those deployed on the forward posts.

Jaitley was accompanied by Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, Western Army Commander Lt Gen K J Singh and 11 Corps Commander Lt General N P Singh Hira.

He also visited Headquarters of 'Panther Division,' where he was given a "comprehensive briefing" on the overall dynamics of Western Sector, including operational preparedness, the release said.