The Indian Army said on Monday it killed seven Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control in Mendhar sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, days after an Indian soldier died in cross firing between the two neighbours.
Both the countries accused each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement on a day India is marking the 70th Army Day. Army chief General Bipin Rawat said his force will not let anti-India activities succeed at any cost in Jammu and Kashmir and warned of stronger reaction against Pakistan-supported terrorism.
“Pakistan army has been continuously trying to help terrorists sneak into India along LoC (Line of Control) in J&K. We are using our might to teach them a lesson,” Rawat said.
The publicity wing of Pakistan’s army, Inter-Services Public Relations, said the soldiers were busy with maintenance of a communication line when they were “fired upon and hit by [a] heavy mortar round” in the Jandrot sector of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
ISPR also claimed that three Indian soldiers were killed and a “few injured” in an exchange of fire,” the report added. Indian Army, however, denied this claim.
“Indian retaliatory firing left seven Pak soldiers dead while there is no injury or death of any Indian soldier as is being claimed by ISPR in its post,” said an officer of Northern Command.
“As per our count we have eliminated seven of their soldiers and we have not lost anybody,” he added.
A post by Government of Pakistan on its Twitter handle read, “Four soldiers of #Pakistan Army have embraced martyrdom in unprovoked #Indian firing along the Line of Control in Jandrot-Kotli Sector. The troops were busy in line communication maintenance when they were fired upon and hit by heavy mortar round by Indian forces”.
On January 13, Pakistan army had killed Lance Naik Yogesh Muralidhar Bhadane in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district. Bhadane was from Khalane village of Maharashtra’s Dhule district.
Separately, at least five suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants trying to infiltrate to carry out a suicide mission were gunned down by security forces on Monday morning in Baramulla district, officials said.
