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Three jawans injured as Pakistan shells LoC areas

Army Soldiers stand guard near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch.   | Photo Credit: PTI

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LoC tensions

Pakistan claims two children killed in mortar attack by Indian troops in Rawalakot

Three Army jawans were on Wednesday injured as Pakistani troops fired from automatic weapons and shelled mortars at forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistani troops also violated the ceasefire in the Laam sector by briefly opening fire along the LoC, police officials said.

The Indian Army is retaliating effectively and the firing is still on, a Defence spokesman said.

“The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars in the Poonch sector along the LoC,” the spokesman said.

In the firing, three Army jawans suffered injuries. On Tuesday, an Army jawan was killed when Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch.

On October 2, two minors were killed and 12 civilians injured in cross-border shelling by Pakistan along the LoC in Poonch district.

Pakistan’s charge

However, the Pakistani military on Wednesday alleged that Indian forces targeted civilians along the LoC and killed two children in a mortar attack that hit a house in the Rawalakot sector. A military spokesman said Pakistani troops engaged Indian posts, killing at least three Indian soldiers and injuring five.

A brief statement by the military said the Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC in Rawalakot and Chirikot sectors. “Unprovoked firing by India targeted locals in Kakuta, Chaffar, Serian and Narakot villages. Mortar rounds hit the house of a civilian, Sakhi Kayani, in Chaffar, whose two children were killed. Pakistan Army posts are effectively engaging Indian posts. Reports say three Indian soldiers are killed and five injured. The Indian posts suffered heavy damage. Intermittent firing continues,” the statement said.

(With inputs from Mubashir Zaidi in Karachi)

Printable version | Oct 4, 2017 11:59:58 PM | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/pak-shells-loc-areas-in-poonch-for-third-day/article19795377.ece