JCO dies in cross border firing
Several structures damaged during shelling in Gurez
Jammu: A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army was killed on Wednesday in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said. Meanwhile, several structures were damaged in cross LoC shelling in Gurez north Kashmir.
Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and opened fire at forward posts in Keri sector, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, the sources said.
The JCO was critically injured in the Pakistani firing and later succumbed to injuries, the sources said, adding Pakistan also suffered casualties in the retaliatory action but the exact details are awaited.
This was the second such incident in the past four days.
On August 30, a JCO was killed in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Army personnel engaged in heavy firing and mortar shelling in two sectors along the LoC in Poonch.
“At about 1845 hours today, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Kirni and Qasba sectors,” a defence spokesman said.
Indian Army personnel retaliated to the ceasefire violation befittingly, he said.
Meanwhile, as many as six structures including four residential houses, a government high school and a madrasa were partially damaged after Pakistani troops violate ceasefire and resorted to shelling along the LoC in Bagtore area of Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Official sources said that Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked motor shelling in Tarabal area last evening during which at least four residential houses, a government high school and a madrassa got partially damaged.
They said that the roof and ceiling of government high school Tarabal got damaged due to the shelling from across the border.
They said that the Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC last evening and targeted forward defense locations in Tarabal area.
The sources added that the Indian Army has given a “strong and befitting” response to the ceasefire violation.
A police officer said that some residential houses have been partially damaged in the shelling. However, he also said that no casualties or injury were reported during the shelling. (with inputs from PTI, KNO)
KV News
