Militaries agree to stop LoC firing
The militaries of India and Pakistan yesterday said in a rare joint statement that they had agreed to observe a ceasefire along the disputed border in Kashmir, having exchanged fire hundreds of times in recent months.
The nuclear-armed neighbours signed a ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kashmir region in 2003, but the truce has frayed in recent years, and there have been mounting casualties among villagers living close to the de facto border.
"Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021," the joint statement said.
The return to a truce was settled by the two armies director-generals of military operations who "agreed to address each other's core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence," the statement said.
There has been a significant increase in ceasefire violations since 2014, leading to nearly 300 civilian fatalities, a source in the Pakistan army said.
Pakistan reported 253 ceasefire violations in first two months of 2021 while reported 591 violations by Pakistan.
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