This Eid, no exchange of sweets at Wagah border

Security officials cited frequent ceasefire violations for the move

A customary exchange of sweets between the security forces of India and Pakistan on Eid ul-Fitr failed to take place at the Attari-Wagah border on Saturday due to frequent ceasefire violations on the Jammu and Kashmir border.

Earlier this week, four BSF soldiers were killed in cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian security forces had also fired in retaliation, a BSF official said.

On June 2, two BSF personnel, including an officer, were killed when Pakistani Rangers targeted Indian posts along the International Border. This comes weeks after the Director General of Military Operations, or DGMO of India and Pakistan agreed to "fully implement" the ceasefire pact of 2003 in "letter and spirit". So far in 2018, there have been more than 1,000 ceasefire violations from the Pakistani side, the government said.

"We have maintained that the ceasefire violation by Pakistan is used as a cover to infiltrate terrorists into our territory and we have seen the results of such infiltrations in the past," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Last month, some 40,000 people living along the International Border in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts were forced to leave their homes amid heavy firing and mortar shelling by Pakistani forces. Unprovoked and indiscriminate firing between May 15 and May 23 left 12 people dead, including two BSF soldiers and an eight-month-old baby.

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