Pak troops break truce again as defence minister ups ante against India

Pakistan has upped the ante against India with its troops resorting to small arm firing across the border in Poonch on Wednesday amidst belligerent posture by Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif who said his country was ready for short or long war and that Pakistan will inflict heavy losses on India.

Pakistani troops fired at army position on the Indian side using small arms along the Line of Control (LoC) in the wilderness area of Poonch, provoking the Indian forces to strike back.

After a brief lull following days of shelling starting on 28 August during which three people, including two women, were killed and 17 others were injured, Pakistani troops resorted to fresh firing on late Wednesday night.

''The Pakistan military earmarked on Krishna Ghati area of the LoC in Poonch locale late Wednesday night. They depended on little arms terminating to which our troops reacted properly and effectively,'' Jammu-based defence representative Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

The firing began at around 8pm and continued till 10:30pm in the night, he stated.

Troops from either side fired small arms at each other in Krishna Ghati of frontier Poonch district, 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Kashmir.

There had been 55 infringement of the fringe truce deal by Pakistan in August and more than 245 truce infringement in the year so far.

Meanwhile, participating in a Radio Pakistan programme, Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan believed in peace but knows how to respond to any aggression.

''Pakistan is ready for a short or long conflict and will inflict heavy losses on India in case "war hysteria" overcomes Indian leadership, Asif said.

His remarks came in reaction to the statement by India Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh that India is prepared for "swift and short" wars in the future.