Pakistan Moves Heavy Artillery, SSG Commandos Close To Line Of Control After August 5

The Pakistan Army has deployed heavy artillery regiments close to the Line of Control with India, top government officials said. The regiments were moved close to the Line of Control (LOC) following the abrogation of Article 370 (special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir) on August 5. Officials said that Pakistan brought in heavy artillery guns keeping in mind that tensions at the border could grow after the move. It currently has about 16 artillery regiments, including mountain and medium, comprising of over 6,000 troops along the LoC. Pakistan has been regularly indulging in ‘caliber escalation’- from using mortars to artillery guns- while violating the ceasefire along the LoC. It has targeted Indian Army posts and civilian areas with heavy artillery, causing casualties. The Indian Army, too, has responded in equal measure. So far there have been over 2,472 ceasefire violations along the LoC this year, the highest in the last two years. Pakistan has also deployed a number of its elite troops, the Special Service Group (SSG), along the LoC. There are at least two SSG battalions, each comprising of at least 700 commandos. Officials explained that SSG commandos with terrorists form part of Border Action Teams (BAT) to carry out cross-border attacks on Indian patrols and posts. On Thursday night, a group of Pakistani army troops crossed the LoC and fired at an Indian Army post, killing a soldier, in the Krishna Ghati sector. Officials said that it could have been an infiltration attempt to push in terrorists.