India and Pakistan held a flag meeting on Friday on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district to address recent cross-LoC firing incidents.
To de-escalate tension on the LoC in the wake of recent incidents of cross-LoC firing and an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in which two soldiers, including a captain, were killed, the flag meeting was held, officials said.
The Brigade commander-level flag meeting was held at the LoC crossing point, Chakan Da Bagh in the district.
“Both sides held that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the borders was essential. The meeting lasted for around 75 minutes and was held in a congenial atmosphere. During the meeting, both sides agreed to honour the ceasefire agreement in the larger interest of peace on the borders,” said officials.
“The ceasefire violations along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir have been rare since the two countries renewed an agreement on February 25, 2021,” the officials said.
In addition to the martyrdom of two Indian Army soldiers in the Akhnoor sector of the LoC on February 11, two other soldiers were injured in firing from the Pakistan side of the LoC in the Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Cross-border firing in the Poonch sector was retaliated by the Indian Army, and reports said casualties were suffered on the Pakistan side.
The Army and the security forces have been maintaining high vigil on the LoC and the hinterland because the traditional infiltration routes have remained open this winter due to scant snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired two security review meetings on J&K. During those meetings, Amit Shah gave orders to the security forces to ensure zero infiltration and zero tolerance for terrorists.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha also chaired two security meetings recently, one in Srinagar and the other in Jammu. The Lt Governor asked the police and the security forces to dismantle the terror ecosystem by targeting terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.
