The Line of Control (LoC) is peaceful since the top military commanders of India and Pakistan agreed yesterday to de-escalate the tension triggered by last week’s brutal killing of two Indian soldiers.

The LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, the scene of repeated ceasefire violations, has been quiet and the tension has eased since the telephonic talk between Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), army sources said.

The issue of Indo-Pak tension came up today in the Union Cabinet meeting which was briefed by Defence Minister A K Antony and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on the situation arising out of the January 8 incident in which two Indian soldiers were killed, one of them beheaded by Pakistani troops.

Antony told the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, that tensions have eased on the LoC since the 10-minute talk between the DGMOs yesterday, sources said.

He told the meeting that the ceasefire has been holding since yesterday and there has been de-escalation of tension, the sources added.

The Indian DGMO Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia and his Pakistan counterpart Maj Gen Ashfaq Nadeem had yesterday agreed not to allow escalation of tensions along the LoC.

Pakistan’s DGMO conveyed that orders have been passed to the troops to strictly observe the ceasefire and exercise restraint, according to Indian army spokesman.

Khurshid told the meeting that Pakistan has indicated readiness for bilateral talks instead of its earlier suggestion for a UN probe into the incident, the sources said.

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