A junior commissioned officer was killed in an exchange of small arms fire as Indian troops foiled yet another infiltration bid by militants along the Line of Control near Keran, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara sector, officials said here Thursday.
In Islamabad, Pakistan military officials alleged Indian troops opened “unprovoked” fire across the LoC, killing three of their soldiers while they were moving from one post to another in Neelum valley.
A defence spokesperson, Lt. Col. J.S. Brar, said Naib Subedar Gurdayal Singh was killed as infiltrating militants targeted a forward Indian military post in the Keran sector on being challenged by alert troops.
“Our jawans noticed the movement of heavily-armed terrorists near the LoC yesterday (Wednes-day) and challenged them. The infiltrating gunmen opened fire, resulting in critical injuries to Naib Subedar Gurdayal Singh,” the spokesperson said, adding the JCO later died of his injuries. He added that Indian troops had then returned fire, forcing the infiltrating militants to flee to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Army officials said Indian troops had foiled dozens of infiltration bids by militants along the LoC in recent weeks, leaving scores of them dead. The Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers (border guards) are now routinely violating the November 2003 ceasefire by firing on Indian forward posts, apparently to create confusion or to give firing cover to infiltrating militants. Lt. Col. Brar said: “In the latest incident ... our jawans fired back, forcing the guns from the other side to silence.”