New Delhi: India conducted retaliatory punitive fire assaults against posts, bunkers and fuel dumps across the LOC in Kashmir on Friday, in which six to seven Pakistani soldiers were reportedly killed and several others injured.

Five Indian soldiers and four civilians, including a woman, also lost their lives in the heavy exchange of cross border firing. The major escalation in hostilities with Pakistan violating the cease fire yet again to begin the shelling came amid the ongoing military confrontation with China in Eastern Ladakh. India has recorded as many as 4052 cease fire violations by Pakistan already this year, smashing all annual records all over the last 17 years. Both armies have often used 105 mm and 155 mm artillery guns, anti- tank guided missiles and heavy mortars in caliber escalations to target each other, as was the case on Friday.

Indian army officers said Pakistan initiated unprovoked CFVs with heavy mortars and other weapons spread across multiple sectors along the 778 Km long LOC, including Baramulla, Dawar, Keran, Uri and Naugam, a major infiltration bid was foiled in the Keran sector of Kupwara on Friday. Pakistan deliberately targeted our civilian areas. Our troops retaliated strongly and hit them very hard, causing substantial damage to Pakistan army’s infrastructure across the LOC. Several ammunition and FOL dumps and multiple terrorist launch pads were damaged in our retaliatory strikes, said a senior officer.

Radio intercepts suggest six to seven Pakistan army soldiers, including two SPG Commandos, who are often involved in BAT operations, were killed in our fire. Another 10- 12 were injured, he added. The army ever released short video clips of the targeted fire assaults to destroy Pakistani positions at multiple locations along the LOC. The fresh Keran infiltration bid on Friday morning came barely five days after an army captain, two soldiers and a BSF constable lost their lives thwarting a similar intrusion in the area.