Indian and Pakistan soldiers exchange sweets on Diwali along LoC in J-K's Poonch
Indian Army exchanged sweets with their Pakistani counterparts on the occasion of Diwali on Sunday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. However, there was no traditional exchange of sweets and pleasantries between the two sides along the International Border (IB), the officials said, attributing it to the tense situation following the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers that left a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan dead.
A BSF jawan was killed in Pakistan Rangers firing in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district during the intervening night of November 8 and 9, the first loss of life on this side after the renewed ceasefire was agreed upon by the two countries on February 25, 2021.
Earlier, two BSF personnel and a woman were injured in cross-border firing in the Arnia sector of Jammu on October 26, while another BSF jawan was injured in a similar incident on October 17.
BSF and Pakistan Rangers held two flag meetings on the IB to ensure adherence to the ceasefire agreement in October but the latest incident heightened the tension afresh.
However, the officials said Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged sweets to mark Diwali at Chakan Da Bagh border crossing point in Poonch district.
Sweets and greetings were also exchanged between the two armies at Tatapani crossing in the Balnoi sector of Poonch, the officials said.
In Samba district, a team of civil officials celebrated Diwali with BSF troops guarding the IB, an official spokesman said.
