Pakistan lodges protest after Indian firing kills 4 soldiers

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan lodged a formal protest with Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh on Monday over the recent "unprovoked ceasefire violations" in the disputed Kashmir region by the Indian forces, which killed four Pakistani soldiers.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Indian forces "used heavy mortars" on Jan. 15 along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jandrot sub sector of Kotli Sector in Kashmir, resulting in the killing of four Pakistani soldiers, while injuring five others.

The Pakistan army said earlier that three Indian soldiers were also killed when Pakistani forces returned fire.

The Director General at the South Asian Desk of the Foreign Ministry Mohammad Faisal, who summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner, condemned the "unprovoked ceasefire violations."

"Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 100 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just 15 days," the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

"This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations," it further said.

The statement said the "deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas and troops carrying out maintenance activities is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws."

Pakistan urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC in the disputed Kashmir region in 2003. However, both sides occasionally exchange fire. Enditem