Rajouri, Oct 29: Eight months after the ceasefire agreement between the armies of India and Pakistan, the guns have completely fallen silent on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch.
However, the hinterland of twin border districts is witnessing a rise in militancy related activities.
The ceasefire was announced in the last week of February this year after hotline talks between DGMOs of the two countries with an aim to restore a conducive atmosphere.
Official sources said that there was near total lull on the Line of Control in the last eight months with “no incident of ceasefire violation reported officially from any sector of Rajouri and Poonch districts.”
“There is complete silence of guns on the LoC. No incident of ceasefire violation has been reported from anywhere in the last eight months. Even the sensitive LoC sectors including Krishna Ghati, Balakote, Poonch, Nowshera and Keri Battal besides other borders in Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu districts have remained calm during this period,” they added.
Jammu based PRO Defence Lt Col Devender Anand, while speaking to Greater Kashmir, also confirmed, “During the last eight months, no incident of ceasefire violation has taken place on LoC.”
However, quoting statistics, official sources said that the period of ceasefire on the LoC witnessed a rise in militancy related activities in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
“This may be a co-incidence or there can be some connection between the two. Nine encounters have taken place on the Line of Control and in the hinterland of Rajouri and Poonch districts in the last four months,” the official sources said.
They informed that an encounter took place on July 8 at Daddal Sunderbani in which two army personnel and three militants were killed. This was followed by another encounter at Ashwini Gap on LoC in Kalal Nowshera wherein one militant was killed. Among seven other encounters, two took place on LoC in Poonch, three in hinterland of Rajouri district and two in Poonch district, they stated.
Among recent encounters in the hinterland of Poonch district also included the one that started on the intervening night of October 10 and 11 at Chamrer near Dehra Ki Gali (DKG) in which five army personnel were killed. This was followed by the encounter that started on October 14. This is still going on in Nar Khas forests of Bhata Dhurian. So far four army personnel have lost their lives in this operation.
In these nine encounters in the last four months, twelve army personnel lost their lives while ten militants were killed.
However, the people living on and along the Line of Control desire for complete peace and permanent ceasefire.
“In every context viz., safety of lives, property or for development and education of children, it is very important that the situation on the Line of Control remains completely normal and guns remain silent,” Anees Chowdhary, a social activist from border area of Rajouri, echoes the sentiments of border population.