Heavy exchange of artillery fire takes place at LoC in Jammu and Kashmir

NEW DELHI: A heavy exchange of artillery fire is taking place at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday, after the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor to carry out precision strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

This comes days after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people.

Following the Indian Army’s action, the Union Minister, in his first reaction to the attack, posted on X, “Bharat Mata ki Jai.”

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also lauded the Indian Army and wrote, “Bharat Mata ki Jai.” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X and wrote, “Jai Hind.”

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath also hailed the Indian Army and wrote, “Jai Hind! Jai Hind ki Sena!”

However, Pakistan violated the Ceasefire Agreement by firing artillery in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhimber Gali area, just hours after India carried out the precision strikes. The Indian Army is responding “appropriately in a calibrated manner,” officials said.

In a post on X, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI) wrote: “Pakistan again violates the Ceasefire Agreement by firing artillery in Bhimber Gali in the Poonch-Rajouri area. The Indian Army is responding appropriately in a calibrated manner.”

The artillery fire came hours after India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of precision strikes targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoJK.

“A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed,” said an official statement from the Ministry of Defence.

Altogether, nine sites were targeted.”Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution,” the statement said.

According to the Ministry, these steps come in response to the “barbaric” Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed. The government reiterated its commitment to hold those responsible accountable.

A detailed briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’ will be held later today, the Ministry added. In a prior post on X, the Indian Army also said: “Justice is served. Jai Hind!” (ANI)