Pahalgam attack live updates: Pakistan fires along LoC again; China backs Islamabad

PAhalgam assail unrecorded updates: Tensions flared up betwixt young new delhi and Islamabad after the Pakistan Army opened fire at several Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) for the third straight day on Sunday, officials aware of the matter said.While the Indian Army has responded effectively to these provocations, the recent firings signal Islamabad's intent to further escalate hostilities along the volatile frontier after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.Meanwhile, China on Sunday backed its close ally Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests, with foreign minister Wang Yi calling on New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam.According to a readout from China government, its foreign minister Wang Yi held a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar saying Beijing was closely following developments after the terror attack and backed an “impartial investigation” into the incident.As far as the investigation goes, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally took over the probe into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, sponsored by Pakistan and carried out by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) through its proxy The Resistance Front (TRF), and is “checking the entire area thoroughly for evidence to expose the terror conspiracy.”India has so far announced a slew of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari.Pahalgam terror attack: Top developmentsChina expressed firm support for Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, urging both parties to exercise restraint.The National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally took over the probe into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.The Pakistan Army opened fire at several Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) for the third straight day on Sunday.Forward-deployed Indian troops responded firmly to the latest night-long provocation and targeted the adversary’s posts facing the Tutmari Gali and Rampur sectors in north Kashmir.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his latest Mann Ki Baat episode, expressed “deep agony” over the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, and reiterated that the perpetrators and conspirators “will be served with the harshest response”.The houses of three more suspected terrorists were demolished by security personnel in South Kashmir and Bandipora in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.A total of 850 Indians, including 14 diplomats and officials, have returned from Pakistan through the Wagah-Attari border in Punjab in four days, reported PTI.As many as 537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border point in four days, reported PTI.