A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel sustained injuries early Wednesday morning when Pakistani troops engaged in unprovoked firing along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector. The incident occurred around 2:35 am, prompting a befitting response from the Indian side.
According to a BSF statement, “At about 2.35 am, an incident of unprovoked firing in the Akhnoor area from across the border happened, and which was befittingly responded by the BSF. One BSF personnel sustained injuries in Pakistani firing.”
The BSF further stated that Indian troops along the International Border and the Line of Control have been put on high alert and are closely monitoring the situation. The ceasefire violation comes just days before the first phase of the three-phase Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, scheduled for September 18.
This is not the first time Pakistan has violated the ceasefire agreement since it was renewed by the two countries in February 2021. In 2023, India accused Pakistan of violating the agreement at least four times, with one incident resulting in the death of a BSF jawan in November, the first such fatality in over three years.
The unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops is seen as an attempt to disrupt the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which will be the first in the Union Territory in a decade. The Indian government has mobilized additional paramilitary forces to ensure the safety and security of the electoral process.
