New Delhi: The Indian Army on Sunday refuted media reports and categorically denied that the bodies of four Armymen, who were killed in a ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday, were mutilated.

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Amid rumours doing the rounds, the Army clarified in a statement: “There has been no mutilation of bodies, the injuries suffered are due to splinters and gunshot wounds sustained due to firing by the enemy on the patrol.”

The clarification came as the nation remembered the four Armymen who got martyred on Saturday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.

A Major and three soldiers were killed when Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol along the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri district.

Pakistani troops targeted the Army patrol at Brat Galla in Keri sector at around 1215 hours on Saturday.

“We suffered three fatal casualties including one officer in the incident. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. Two other personnel also sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment,” the spokesman said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Rajouri Yougal Manhar added that one of the two injured personnel died later.

The Army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated “strongly and effectively” to the “unprovoked” firing.

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Major Ambadas (32) belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh (34) belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pargat Singh (30) belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said.

“Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pargat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” the Army statement said.

(With PTI inputs)