Four Indian soldiers, including an Army Captain, were killed in the Bhimber Gali sector in cross-border firing.
This has been a part of a series of violations of the cease fire agreement between India and Pakistan.
How did the cease fire agreement evolve?
The 2003 cease fire agreement between India and Pakistan came just four years after the Kargil war, and soon after both he countries almost went to war following the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament.
Pakistan Prime Minister announced a unilateral ceasefire on the Line of Control.
India accepted Pakistan's offer and suggested including the Siachen heights.
The ceasefire was eventually extended to the International Boundary.
It had resulted in a dramatic drop in military casualties, and thousands of border residents had been able to return home from temporary shelters on both sides.
What is the present scenario?
The recent casualties are an extension of what has been unfolding along the International Boundary as well as the Line of Control for the past several months.
The two countries are caught in a spiral of almost daily exchanges of fire along the border.
2017 has turned out to be the worst year since the commencement of the agreement, with at least 860 incidents of ceasefire violations recorded on the LoC alone.
So there is a danger of political rhetoric acquiring its own momentum.
January 2018 recorded the highest number of ceasefire violations in a month since 2003.
Thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their border homes.
What should be done?
Peace on the border is difficult to achieve by military leaders.
Restoring the ceasefire requires real statesmanship, through high-level political intervention.
