New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI): For the first time in the 14 years since the 1999 war, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in the higher reaches of Ladakh with its troops opening fire with small and automatic weapons on Indian posts in Drass and Kaksar areas of Kargil sector.

According to official sources, Pakistani troops fired with automatic weapons at Sando Post in Drass area last night which was retaliated by the Indian troops.

Tensions had shot up between India and Pakistan and the two sides were in eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation mode when Pakistani troops intruded into Kargil in 1999.

According to the sources, there was a ceasefire violation in Kaksar which falls between Drass and Kargil as Pakistani troops fired initially with small weapons and later with automatic weapons at Chenigund post on Monday night.

This area has a dominance of Pakistani troops who are perched atop the heights and can target the national highway connecting Ladakh with Kashmir.

This was the post where Lt Saurabh Kalia along with his men went missing in April 1999 and later their mutilated bodies with clear signs of torture were handed over to the Indian Army.

Pakistani troops have in recent days repeatedly violated ceasefire in Kashmir's Uri and Keran sectors and Poonch and R S Pura of Jammu region.