The militaries of India and Pakistan said in a rare joint statement on Thursday that they had agreed to observe a ceasefire along the disputed border in Kashmir, having exchanged fire hundreds of times in recent months. “Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021,” the joint statement said. There has been a significant increase in ceasefire violations since 2014, leading to nearly 300 civilian fatalities, a source in the Pakistan military said. “In just two months this year, there have been 253 ceasefire violations in which eight civilians were wounded,” the source said. Since the start of the year, India had counted 591 violations by Pakistan.

Source: The Nation February 25, 2021 14:37 UTC