Three soldiers killed, seven posts in Rakhchikri and Rawalakote destroyed: Pak army
JAMMU : With no let up in crossborder skirmishes, Pakistani troops on Tuesday opened heavy fire and shot mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
NITIN KANOTRA/HT■ BSF director general Rajni Kant Mishra and other officers carry the coffin of Inspector T Alex Lalminlun after a wreath-laying ceremony in Jammu on Tuesday. Lalminlun was killed in shelling in Poonch by Pakistan troops on Tuesday.Following intense shelling by Pakistani troops on Monday, which left a five-year-old girl and a BSF officer among three dead and 20 others injured in Poonch, the trans- LoC trade via Chakan-da-Bagh was suspended on Tuesday.
In the retaliation carried out by Indian troops, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan said that three Pakistan army soldiers were killed on Tuesday by the Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) while seven Pakistan posts across the LoC in Rakhchikri and Rawalakote forward areas of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), opposite Poonch, were destroyed.
Defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said that at about 11.30 am on Tuesday, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked shelling with mortars and firing with small arms along the LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.
There was also firing and shelling by Pakistan troops in Shahpur sub-sector in Poonch on Tuesday, he said.
“The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly,” he added.
The slain Pakistan army soldiers, killed in retaliatory firing, were identified as Subedar Muhammad Riaz, Lance Havaldar Aziz Ullah and Sepoy Shahid Mansib.
“Three brave son of soil laid their lives in the line of duty. Indian troops resorted to unprovoked fire in Rakhchakri, Rawalakot Sector along Line of Control. Subedar Muhammad Riaz, resident of Jhang, Lance Havaldar Aziz Ullah from Noshero Feroz and Sepoy Shahid Mansib from Abbotabbad embraced Shahadat while one soldier got injured. Pakistan army responded effectively. Reports of casualties on Indian side,” posted ISPR, a publicity wing of the Pakistan army on its website on Tuesday.
On Monday, a five-year old girl Sobia Shareef, a 35-year-old woman Shaista Bi and an inspector of the Border Security Force (BSF) T Alex Lalminlun were killed and 20 others were injured in indiscriminate shelling and firing by the Pakistan army in Poonch.
As a precautionary measure, all schools along the borderline in Poonch and Rajouri districts have been closed by authorities.
CROSS-LOC TRADE SUSPENDED
The cross-LoC trade along the Poonch-Rawalakot route was suspended on Tuesday in view of the heavy shelling by Pakistan on forward areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
“The weekly cross-LoC trade was suspended in view of the frequent shelling by Pakistan and tense security situation,” said Fareed Kohil, custodian of the Chakan-da-Bagh trade facilitation centre.
The cross-LoC trade between Poonch on this side and Rawalakot in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) takes place via Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch and Salamabad in Baramulla, four days a week from Tuesday to Friday on barter system. Kohli said the situation is being monitored and no decision has been taken yet on the resumption of the trade on Wednesday.
“The decision will be take
