Army man injured in Pak firing

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Rajouri, July 7

A day after Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement on the international border in Arnia sector of Jammu district by targeting six BSF outposts, an Army jawan was injured in Pakistan firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector today.

The Army foiled an infiltration by three unidentified terrorists in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district after exchange of fire early this morning.

Sources said a soldier of the 12 Jat Regiment, who was manning the forward post at Bandi in Poonch district was injured today when Pakistani soldiers targeted him with sniper fire.

“The bullet hit Lance Naik Jatinder Kumar on his right thigh. He who was immediately taken to the nearby Army health centre. He was given first-aid and then shifted to the Army hospital in Poonch, where he was stated to be out of danger,” sources said. The sources said soldiers of the 801 Mujahideen battalion of the Pakistani army targeted Jatinder Kumar.

In an official handout, Lt Col Manish Mehta, PRO (Defence), Jammu, said, “Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing from across the LoC in Poonch sector. At 9:45 am, Pakistani troops resorted to small arms fire. Troops on our side retaliated appropriately. One soldier suffered a grazed bullet injury. His condition was stable till reports last came in.”

Meanwhile, Lt Col Mehta said alert troops foiled infiltration along the LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district this morning.

“Three unidentified terrorists were trying to sneak in through the LoC in the Sukhtao Nala area in Sunderbani sector. Around 6:30 am, three unidentified terrorists clad in Pathani suits were challenged by our men about 30 metres inside the LoC,” the PRO (Defence) said.

“The terrorists responded with fire and started running back towards the LoC. Our soldiers fired upon them and foiled the infiltration,” he said. He adding that no casualty was reported in the exchange of fire.

On July 3, Lt Gen KH Singh, GOC, 16 Corps, expressed apprehensions of firing on Indian soldiers and action by the border action team of the Pakistan army. He was speaking on the sidelines of Jhangar Day in Rajouri district.

On the night of July 5, the Pakistan Rangers targeted six BSF outposts and some villages along the Indo-Pak border in Arnia sector in Jammu district, triggering panic among residents. The same night, a BSF jawan was killed in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Nowgam sector in the Kashmir valley.