Poonch, May 19
In yet another ceasefire violation, the Pakistani army resorted to indiscriminate firing from across the Line of Control (LoC), killing an Army jawan in Nangi Tekri area of Mendhar in Poonch sector this morning.
(Pakistan has denied as "baseless" the Indian Army's assertion that one of its soldiers was killed in cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir, saying there was "no such incident".)
This is the third incident of ceasefire violation within a fortnight in the state by the Pakistani army, which resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on the Indian positions on May 8 and May 13 in Samba and Tanghdhar sectors in the Jammu and Kashmir regions, respectively, prompting the Indian defence authorities to lodge a protest with the Pakistani counterparts.
Sources in the Rajouri-based 25 Infantry Division said the Pakistani army resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing in Nangi Tekri area of Mendhar sector in Poonch at 7.15 am. The fire was retaliated by the Indian troops and in the ensuing gun battle, which lasted for 20 minutes, an Army soldier was killed, they added. The jawan has been identified as Jayashwar of the 2/8 Gorkha Regiment. He hailed from Uttar Pradesh.
“The Pakistani troops opened fire with light weapons on a patrol party near Kranti post in Nangi Tekri area under the jurisdiction of 10 Brigade,” informed senior Army officials of the 25 Infantry Division. “The Army has lodged a complaint with the director general military organisation (DGMO) of Pakistan and has requested for a flag meeting,” they added.
Speaking over the phone, Jammu-based defence spokesman said an Army jawan was killed in firing from the Pakistani side. “Besides the firing, the Pakistani army fired rockets, RPGs, UBGL grenades. Our troops did not retaliate the fire,” the spokesman claimed.
The incident comes ahead of the first high-level contact between the two countries after a new government in Pakistan assumed office. While foreign secretaries of the two neighbours are scheduled to meet tomorrow in Islamabad, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee would hold parleys with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on
Wednesday.
