Will fire at any militant crossing LoC: Indian Army chief

Any militant who crosses the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir will be fired at, Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh said Monday.

His comments came as reports in the Pakistani media blamed India for violating the cease-fire and firing at a civilian near the LoC.

"We will fire at any militant trying to enter through the LoC," Gen. Bikram Singh said at the annual press conference ahead of Army Day on Wednesday.

He, however, added that "attempts are on to ensure ceasefire agreements are adhered to by both sides. It is our endeavour to control it, not escalate it".

"If rules are followed by our neighbours, we follow them too. If rules are broken, we won't sit on it, we will break them too," he said.

Reports quoting Pakistani military sources said a civilian was injured in firing by Indian troops near the LoC on Saturday.

General Bikram Singh said ceasefire violations have been to aid infiltration of militants from Pakistan.

He also noted that the frequency of ceasefire violations have come down remarkably ever since the meeting of the DGMOs (Directors General Military Operations) of the two countries last December.