India rules out talks to de-escalate tensions till Pakistan stops firing

NEW DELHI: India is ready for the long haul in the ongoing exchange of fire with Pakistan on the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, with top government sources ruling out any talks to de-escalate tension till Islamabad puts a complete stop to its cross-border misadventure of targeting civilians with mortar shells.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi did respond with a perfunctory "everything will be fine soon" to questions on the border tension at an IAF function on Wednesday evening, but top sources in the Indian security establishment said the government would not allow Pakistan to "dictate terms" any longer.
"We are prepared for the long haul… Our massive and targeted retaliation is not going to stop. If talks or flag meetings are held, it will be on our terms and only after Pakistan stops firing," said a source. This came after one of the heaviest exchanges of fire in recent times that saw Pakistan targeting 63 BSF outposts along the IB on Tuesday night, and India retaliating by raining 1,000 mortar shells over 70 such Pakistani posts.
Pakistani troops resumed heavy firing around 9.45pm on Wednesday with shells raining down on Samba, Kanachak and Akhnoor sectors of Jammu. BSF issued an alert to Indian villages along the IB as Pakistan increased the shelling range from 4km to 7km. Indian journalists in Samba were told to trace their steps 2km back into home territory to avoid coming in the line of Pakistani fire.
The fierce cross-border duels, which have caused civilian casualties on both sides, even led UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to ask India and Pakistan to resolve their issues diplomatically through dialogue.
But the Modi government is in no mood to give in to Pakistan's "coercive diplomacy" since it believes Islamabad has let loose its firepower across the IB — which unlike the Line of Control (LoC) has settled populations and built-up areas on both sides — due to "sheer frustration" at repeatedly failing to "internationalise the Kashmir issue".
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Interestingly, the unresolved LoC was relatively quiet on Wednesday after seven ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces in Mendhar and Poonch sectors through Tuesday night. With General Dalbir Singh Suhag saying his battalion commanders were "responding immediately and appropriately" to all provocations, the Indian Army plastered scores of Pakistani bunkers and positions in heavy fire since Monday night. "There has been lot of damage to Pakistani infrastructure across the Rajouri sector," said a source.

(A boy injured in border firing is brought to a Jammu hospital.)
Along the settled IB, the BSF too has pulled out all stops under clear directions from the government to not exercise any restraint in replying to Pakistani firing. "Through heavy retaliation, we have sent a message to Pakistan that if they target our forces or civilians, they will have to pay. Despite firing overnight, they have not been able to damage a single BoP on our side. That is why, in desperation, they are targeting civilian areas," BSF director-general D K Pathak said.

(Girls look out from a window as they take shelter at a relief camp in Salehar village near Jammu.)
The Indian intelligence assessment is that at least 35 people have been killed in Pakistan over the last two days of cross-border firing, while there have been eight casualties in India till now. Both sides have evacuated much of their civilian populations settled along the IB to avoid more casualties.
In addition to 82mm mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns, Pakistani forces have resorted to even using air defence guns in some cases. Till now, however, both sides have refrained from bringing in long-range heavy artillery into the cross-border duels.
The government's strong resolve is evident from the fact that the border firing is being monitored at the highest levels, with national security advisor Ajit Doval receiving daily reports from BSF on the border operations. The reports, prepared on specific instructions, contain details of the scale of retaliation by Indian forces, said sources.