An Army soldier was killed on Saturday, 17 August, as Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to mortar shelling and small arms firing on forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said.
The latest ceasefire violation comes two days after Pakistan claimed that four of its soldiers were killed in the firing by the Indian troops on their posts along the LoC.
Lance Naik Sandeep Thapa (35), a resident of Dehradun, sustained fatal injuries in the Pakistani firing in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district, the spokesman said. He said the unprovoked firing from across the border started at around 6:30 am, prompting strong and effective retaliation by Indian Army guarding the border.
The 35-year-old belonged to Rajawala village of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and is survived by his wife Nisha Thapa.
The exchange of fire between the two sides was on when the last reports were received, he said, adding the casualties suffered by Pakistan in the retaliatory action was not known immediately.
Lt Col Devender Anand, Defence Spokesperson said, “Indian Army troops have inflicted heavy damage to Pakistan Army posts and casualties to Pakistan Army soldiers in response to ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Nowshera sector.”
Last month, two Army personnel and a 10-day-old baby were killed and several civilians injured in heavy Pakistani shelling and firing in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)