Punjab soldier killed in Pak shelling in Rajouri, cop on leave injured

JAMMU: A soldier was killed and a J&K Police personnel, who was on leave, injured on Wednesday night when Pakistan resorted to shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Manjakote sector of Rajouri district in Jammu region. The dead soldier has been identified as Naik Gurcharan Singh, 28, a resident of Harchowal village of Gurdaspur in Punjab.
“Pakistani army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation on the LoC in Rajouri district on Wednesday. Our troops responded effectively to enemy fire. But, in the incident, Naik Gurcharan Singh was critically injured and later succumbed,” defence PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said.
Col Anand further said that Naik Gurcharan Singh was a brave, highly motivated and a sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty.
Rajouri SSP Chandan Kohli said, “A police personnel, who was on leave and resided in upper Rajdhani area of Manjakote sector, got injured in Pakistani shelling on Wednesday night. “Injured by splinters of a mortar shell, he was immediately evacuated to a nearby hospital, where he is being treated,” the SSP added.
Naik Gurcharan Singh’s is the second fatality along the LoC in a week. On June 4, a soldier was killed during unprovoked Pakistani firing in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district.
Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire twice on June 9 by initiating unprovoked shelling and firing along the LoC in Mankote and Kerni sectors of Poonch district.
Even on June 8, Pakistani troops had resorted to unprovoked small arms fire and intense mortar shelling along the LoC in Poonch and attracted retaliation from the Indian side.