Army soldier, BSF jawan killed in cross-border firing along LoC

JAMMU/SRINAGAR: An Army soldier was killed in firing by Pakistani troops in Kupwara on Thursday, while a BSF jawan lost his life in cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri, even as another jawan suffered injuries in the incident.

Thursday was the second consecutive day when Pakistan violated ceasefire along the LoC. Yesterday, two soldiers were injured in Pakistani firing in Uri sector.

A soldier was killed in firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Macchil sector in Kupwara, the Army said.

"There was an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Macchil sector in Kupwara district today at 10.45 am," an Army official said.

He said one soldier was killed in the Pakistani firing.

"Our troops retaliated in adequate measure to the Pakistani aggression," he added.

Later in the day, Pakistani troopers fired from across the LoC in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district.

“A Border Security Forces (BSF) soldier attained martyrdom, while another was injured critically when Pakistan violated ceasefire at LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri, this evening,” BSF spokesperson, Manoj Yadav said.

He said that two forward locations at Rakhee post on this side of LoC manned by the BSF and the army came under fire from Pakistani side at around 3:50 pm.

Though army and BSF troops jointly retaliated the firing, at around 4:30 two jawans of BSF’s 126 Battalion suffered bullet injuries and evacuated from the spot.

While a bullet hit Constable Paranjit Biswas on the left shoulder, Constable Mansa Ram suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh, they said.

The two jawans were evacuated in a helicopter to the nearest medical facility, but Biswas succumbed to injuries around 6 pm, they added.

The condition of the other jawan is stable, the officials said.

Intermittent exchange of fire between both sides was going till late evenings.