5 jawans, 4 civilians dead in LoC firing, retaliation kills 8 in Pak

The sudden escalation in border situation at the Line of Control, which included unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan and retaliatory firing and missile attacks by India, on Friday (November 13) resulted in the deaths of five Indian security personnel and six civilians.

Besides, as many as eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and 12 were injured in the strong retaliation from the Indian side, sources said. Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing to reportedly facilitate infiltration of terrorists into India from their side.

Four Indian Army personnel, a BSF sub-inspector and six civilians were killed while four jawans and eight civilians were injured in the firing by Pakistan during multiple ceasefire violations between Gurez and Uri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

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The Pakistan army also resorted to heavy firing and shelling targeting villages and forward areas along the LoC in Poonch district, injuring seven people, including two Army porters, they said. A number of videos released by the Indian Army showed destruction of several Pakistani positions and bunkers across the LoC with some of them going up in flames following the Indian retaliation.

As per intercepts of Pakistan Army’s communication, casualties included two commandos from its Special Service Group, sources said. Also, a number of Pakistan Army bunkers, fuel dumps and terrorist launch pads across LoC were destroyed and set on fire, they said.

Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said Pakistan used mortars and other weapons, targeting civilian areas. “Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC spread across multiple sectors including Dawar, Keran, Uri and Naugam,” he said.

Two civilians were killed in Kamalkote sector, also in Uri, while a woman was killed in the Balkote area in Haji Peer sector, the officials added. They said apart from various places in Uri, the ceasefire violations were reported from Izmarg in Gurez sector of Bandipora district and Keran sector of Kupwara district.

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A defence official in Jammu said Pakistani troops violated ceasefire twice in Poonch district.
“Around 1345 and 1445 hours today, Pakistani army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in sector in Sawjian in Poonch,” he said, adding Indian troops retaliated in a befitting manner.

In New Delhi, BSF officials said SI Rakesh Doval, 39, deployed at the force’s artillery battery at the LoC in Baramulla was killed after he sustained head injury in the firing around 1315 hours. Constable Vasu Raja sustained splinter injuries on his arms and cheeks. He was deployed at the same forward defended location, they said, adding the constable is stable.

Almost all BSF units along the LoC are facing heaving firing since morning and an effective retaliation by the troops, artillery regiment and support weapons has been mounted, a senior officer of the force said. The BSF works under the operational command of the Army at the LoC.

“The Sub Inspector has made supreme sacrifice in line of duty while facing heavy ceasefire violation from the enemy. The sub-officer was a resident of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and joined the border force in 2004,” the officer said.

Doval is survived by his father, wife and a nine-year-old daughter, he said.