3 Pak troops dead, 2 injured; 3-4 posts decimated
Artillery fire used on LoC in Poonch
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 8: An Army soldier was martyred and three other jawans including a Major were injured as Pakistani troops after quite some time again used artillery fire to target forward Indian posts and civilian areas on the Line of Control (LoC) in Degwar sector of Poonch district while at least three Pak troopers were killed and two injured in the Indian retaliation. Three to four Pakistani posts were destroyed.
Reports said Pakistan army violated ceasefire on the LoC in Degwar sector of Poonch resorting to artillery fire and mortar shelling to target forward defence posts and civilian areas this afternoon. A forward post of the Army was hit in Pakistan’s artillery fire in which an Army soldier was martyred and three others including a Major were injured.
The Indian troops retaliated very effectively, leading to heavy exchange of firing which continued for two to three hours.
Reports said that at least three Pakistan army personnel were killed and two others injured in the Indian retaliation which was very aggressive and pounded the Pakistani posts which were targeting the forward areas of Degwar. Three to four Pakistani posts, mostly those which were targeting the Indian positions, were decimated in the Indian firing.
Click here to watch video
Casualties figure on Pakistan side could rise as at least three ambulances were seen in their forward village of Abbaspur opposite Degwar sector of Poonch transporting dead and injured to the hospitals.
Firing and shelling from the Pakistan Indian side stopped after their posts were razed to ground.
The Indian troops evacuated martyr soldier and three injured jawans from the forward post and shifted them to hospital. Injured troops were responding to the treatment.
The martyr soldier has been identified as Naik Rajive Singh Shekhawat. Injured were identified as Major Rahul Katryar, Lance Naik Shivam Singh and Sepoy Azad Kumar.
This was after more than three months that Pakistan army used artillery fire to target Indian defence posts and civilian areas in Poonch sector. Prior to this, they had used artillery fire twice in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.
Reports said the Indian Army targeted nine kilometers stretch in Polas area of Abbaspur sector across Poonch in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as there were reports that Pakistan army had brought some militants and Border Action Team (BAT) members close to the LoC for infiltration into the Indian territory to target defence installations and civilian areas.
The Indian Army was aware of reports about Pakistan army bringing in groups of militants closer to the LoC to facilitate their infiltration into the Indian territory for terror activities including both defence and civilian areas.
“Timely retaliation by the Indian Army ensured that the militants and BAT members don’t manage to infiltrate into the Indian territory,” sources said, adding that Pakistan army has activated terror infrastructure on the LoC including launching pads for the infiltrators.
There was panic among the civilians living in forward villages in Degwar sector and surroundings in Poonch following heavy shelling and firing by the Pakistani troops especially the use of artillery guns to target forward posts and populated villages.
However, reports said, there were no civilian casualties or damage in today’s Pakistan shelling and firing as the people confined themselves to bunkers and houses as soon as the firing started from across the LoC.
“Pakistan was desperate to push trained militants into the Indian territory from the LoC as their all previous infiltration attempts have been successfully thwarted by the Army,” sources said, adding that not only across Poonch but even opposite Mendhar and Balakote sectors as well as Nowshera, Sunderbani and Pallanwalla, Pakistan army has brought trained militants at launch pads on their side of the LoC with a view to push them into this side.
However, the Indian Army was maintaining high alert and was committed to thwart Pakistan designs of pushing militants into Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
