Army jawan from Punjab killed, civilian injured as Pakistani troops shell Rajouri villages

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Rajouri, June 11

An Army jawan lost his life in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Manjakot sector of Rajouri district on Wednesday night. A civilian was also injured in Rajdhani village of Manjakot sector.

The deceased was identified as Naik Gurcharan Singh, a resident of Gurdaspur district in Punjab. His body has been shifted to Rajouri hospital for autopsy.

“Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling in civilian areas along the LoC in Manjakot sector on Wednesday night. An army jawan and a civilian were injured in the ceasefire violation. Pakistan has been targeting civilian areas along the LoC for the past few days with its sole aim to push armed militants into Indian territory,” a source said.

“In the early hours of Wednesday, Pakistan targeted the civilian areas in Nowshera sector. Later, it initiated ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars in Balakote sector of Poonch district. The Army has been retaliating befittingly,” sources said.

The mortal remains of Lance Naik Gurcharan Singh (29), who was killed in unprovoked shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu & Kashmir, were consigned to flames at his native village here with full military honours on Thursday.

A civilian Namitullah Khan was also injured in the shelling on Wednesday night.

Wrapped in the Tricolour, the body arrived at Harchowal village amid the chants of ‘Gurcharan Singh amar rahe’ and ‘Indian Army Zindabad’.

Gurcharan’s father Salvinder Singh, himself a veteran, said that he was proud of his son for laying down his life for the country.

Soldier’s wife Ranjit Kaur, who is in Punjab police, said she was proud of her husband and would send their son Agamjot Singh to serve in the Indian Army.

He is survived by two children and wife.

A large number of people including officials from the Army, police and district administration attended the funeral. Balwinder Singh, Batala Sub Divisional Magistrate, laid a wreath and paid tribute to the martyred soldier on behalf of the Punjab government.

On June 4, an Army havildar was killed in mortar shelling in Sunderbani sector in Rajouri district.

For the past few months, Pakistan army has been desperately trying to push militants into Rajouri and Poonch districts under the cover of heavy artillery, mortar shelling and firing on the Indian army’s forward locations and civil areas. — With inputs from PTI