Srinagar, February 4: Four soldiers were martyred and two injured in shelling by Pakistani troops across the Line of Control (LoC) in Bhimber Gali sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday.
Pakistan on Sunday morning intensified firing at Indian military posts and villages along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts this morning, violating the ceasefire. According to a report, a teenage girl a minor boy and a soldier were injured in Poonch. The Indian Army said it was responding appropriately.
Army men killed are identified as Captain Kapil Kundu, Rifleman Ramavatar, Rifleman Subham Singh and Havaldar Roshan Lal of 15 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. Kapil was from NDA 129 Course.
The injured civilians were identified as Yasin Arif and Shahnaz Bano, both residents of Islamabad village. Both of them were hospitalised.
According to a report, a Defence spokesman said Pak Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatics and mortars around 1110 hours. The Indian Army retaliated to the violation strongly and effectively, he said.
In last three days, this is the second time that the Pakistani Army has targeted Poonch, using automatic weapons and mortars. Last week, the Pak army also targeted military and civilian facilities in nearly a dozen areas of the Balakote sector.
In last one month, at least 13 people including seven civilians and six security personnel had been killed in Pakistan in Jammu region.
Around 300 schools situated near LoC and the international border in Rajouri, Samba, Kathua, Jammu and Poonch districts were closed for a week between January 21 and 28, for the security of villagers. Thousands of people living near the LoC have abandoned their homes close to the border, leaving behind the cattle and crops.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh who was attending an election rally in Agartala said, India wanted peaceful relations with Pakistan, but the country’s forces have been told that if one bullet comes from across the border, the security personnel should fire countless bullets to retaliate.
“I have given standing orders to our forces to shoot limitless bullets to retaliate a single fire on our territory by the Pakistani forces,” Rajnath Singh said to media.