A Pakistani soldier was killed in India’s retaliatory fire late on Wednesday as the neighbouring country continued with firing and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
The soldier was identified as Lance Naik Ali Baz by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani army’s online publicity wing. ISPR claimed that two Pakistani civilians were also killed in the Indian firing.
“Indian Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation (CFV) in Kailer & Rakhchikri Sectors along LoC. In Kailer Sector, Indian troops targeted Pakistan Army posts with automatics and heavy weapons,” ISPR said.
Pakistan Army responded effectively, it added.
“Reports of heavy losses to Indian troops in men and material. During exchange of intense fire, Lance Naik Ali Baz, age 34 years, resident of District Karak, embraced shahadat (died),” it said.
“In Rakchikri Sector, Indian Army troops deliberately targeted civilian population. Due to indiscriminate fire in Kirni village, a girl age 16 & a woman age 52 years were martyred while a 10 years old boy & 55 years old woman got injured,” claimed ISPR.
However, an Indian Army officer said India neither targets civilians nor uses them as human shields on the LoC.
“We can confirm the elimination of at least one of their soldiers but we don’t target hapless civilians as they do,” he said.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said, “There was unprovoked firing and shelling by Pak troops in Shahpur and Kirni sectors late Wednesday prompting us to respond in equal measure.”
Col Anand said Pakistan resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in Krishna Ghati sector of Mendhar sub-division in Poonch district on Thursday. The violation occurred at around 4.30am and the exchanges last for half an hour, he added.
The neighbouring army has violated the ceasefire around 1,400 times this year. The total number of ceasefire violations by it stood at 3,168 in 2019 and 1,629 in 2018.
News agency PTI reported that Pakistan on Thursday summoned the Indian charge d’affaires to lodge its protest over the alleged firing by the Indian troops across LoC that allegedly resulted in the death of a Pakistani soldier and two civilians.
Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri director-general (South Asia & Saarc) ) registered “Pakistan’s strong protest over the alleged ceasefire violations by the Indian forces” in Rakhchikri Sector on April 29 with Gaurav Ahluwalia, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said.
