The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday summoned Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah to lodge a protest over the death of a seven-month-old baby in cross-border firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Sherpalai on Monday.

“It was conveyed that the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians, who are located away from the forward line of defences, by Pakistani forces using small arms and high caliber weapons is highly deplorable and condemned in the strongest terms,” the ministry said in a press release. “Targeting of innocent civilians including young children is against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct.”

The ministry said it had asked Pakistan to “investigate such heinous acts of killing innocent civilians and instruct its forces to desist from such acts immediately”.

The ministry also claimed that Pakistani forces have carried out 1,088 ceasefire violations across the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

“In 2018, Indian security forces have [also] thwarted attempts by 53 terrorists to infiltrate and have neutralized five terrorists at the time of crossing the Line of Control,” the press release said. The ministry said it had asked Pakistan to end the “covering fire” its forces gave militants who tried to infiltrate into India.