Army jawan killed as Pakistani troops shell forward areas along LoC, IB in J&K

An Army jawan was killed on Monday (June 22) as Pakistani troops opened fire and lobbed mortar shells at forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The heavy Pakistani firing and shelling were reported along the LoC in Poonch districts Krishna Ghati sector and Rajouri’s Nowshera sector, and along the IB in Kathua district, the officials said.

An Army jawan, guarding a forward post, was critically injured after being hit by cross-border shelling in Nowshera sector, they said, adding that he succumbed to his injuries later. He is the fourth Army personnel to be killed in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch this month.

Two soldiers were killed in Pakistani firing in Rajouri district on June 4 and 10, while another soldier fell to cross-border firing in Poonch on June 14. There has been a spurt in Pakistani shelling along the border in Jammu and Kashmir this year with over 2,027 cases of violation of a ceasefire agreement being reported till June 10.

Earlier, a defence spokesman said, “At about 0330 hours today, Pak army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing of small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Krishnagati Sector in Poonch district,” a defense spokesman said. “Again at about 0530 hours Pak army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation in Nowshera sector, district Rajouri,” he said.

The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly, he said. Along the International Border, Pakistani Rangers engaged in heavy firing on forward posts and villages in the Karol Matrai area of Hiranagar sector in Kathua district, an official said. He said the unprovoked firing from Pakistan started around 1 am and the Border Security Force (BSF) gave a befitting retaliation. The exchange of fire between the two sides continued till 3.50 am, the official said.