"ceasefire"

According to the latest media reports, a total of 232 Palestinians, including more than 60 children, and at least 12 Israelis, have been killed since violence erupted near the Gaza border on May 10

India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement in 2003, but it has hardly been followed in letter and spirit over the past several years.

Addressing the Northern Command Investiture ceremony, Lt Gen Y K Joshi said the northern command, which looks after the security of the twin union territories of J&K and Ladakh, remained on the highest alert and made possible what was believed impossible by the bravery.

Till last reports came in, intermittent firing exchanges were still going on in the area.

According to sources, the incident happened on Tuesday.

According to sources, the Pakistani army also suffered numerous casualties in the "strong and effective" retaliation by the Indian troops as several of their posts were also destroyed.

The officials said cross-border firing between the two sides continued till 4.15 am on Sunday, and added that there was no report of any casualty or damage on the Indian side.

Colonel Devender Anand, Defence Ministry spokesman said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation on the LoC in Poonch sector on Thursday night.

The firing from across the border in Satpal, Manyari, Karol Krishna and Gurnam border outpost areas started around 9 pm on Saturday.

Havaldar Patil Sangram Shivaji, was critically injured in the Pakistani firing in the Lam area of Rajouri district's Nowshera sector around 1 am and later succumbed to the injuries.

Earlier, three Indian Army soldiers were killed in two separate locations in Jammu and Kashmir while foiling infiltration bids.

"All civilians are hospitalised in Mandi Hospital of Poonch district," said top Border Security Force (BSF) sources.

The officials said SI Rakesh Doval deployed at the BSF artillery battery at the LoC in Baramulla was killed after he sustained head injury in the firing around 1315 hours.

This is third consecutive day that the Pakistan Army has targeted hamlets and posts with mortar bombs and heavy firing triggering fear and panic among the residents along the LoC.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a bitter conflict over Karabakh since Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized control of the mountainous province in a 1990s war that left 30,000 people dead.

One witness said they were woken by a huge blast that levelled an entire square block of one- and two-floor houses in the early hours of the morning, leaving nine apartments destroyed.

Indian Army is retaliating befittingly.

Azerbaijan claims to have made gains in Karabakh in recent days, with its defence ministry saying that 14 settlements have been taken as well as a strategically important plateau.