India: Ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces at Line of Control (LoC) June 10-14

Event

On Wednesday, June 14, two instances of Pakistani forces violating the ceasefire agreement with India were reported, including firing mortars and opening fire on military posts and civilians areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir. These actions have prompted retaliation by the Indian Army. 

Context

Since June 10, there have been nine ceasefire violations, bringing the total number of violations to 12 since January 1, 2017. In May 2017, Indian defense officials reported that Pakistani forces were continuing to fire shells across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. According to officials, Pakistani soldiers shelled three areas of the Rajouri district overnight,  including an overnight offensive that forced almost 1700 people to evacuate. The Nowshera area was also targeted with small arms and mortars. Indian officials reported over 10,000 people have been affected by the shelling.

These increasing tensions come after 2016 saw a surge in skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops along the International Border (IB) and the LoC. Apart from military casualties, these incidents claimed civilian lives on both sides and prompted residents to flee border areas. Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse the other side of unprovoked shootings and other violations of ceasefire agreements. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.

Advice

Authorities advise against all travel to Jammu and Kashmir, as well as to the border region with Pakistan (direct vicinity of the LoC) due to the high threat of terrorism, with the exception of the city of Jammu and the region of Ladakh. Western governments usually advise their citizens against non-essential travel to the city of Srinagar.