J&K: Army jawan killed as Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in Rajouri district

Srinagar: An Army jawan was killed in Pakistani troops’ firing on the Indian forwards positions in Sunderbani sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district late on Friday night.

In fresh firing reported from Rajouri’s Lam sector on Saturday morning, another soldier was injured, officials said.

The Army officials said the Pakistani troops in latest violation of the November 2003 ceasefire agreement targeted the Indian posts in Sunderbani even as other sectors of the LoC –Manjakote, Balakote and Nowshehra - which had witnessed intense exchanges of fire over the past week remained calm.

No fresh incident of cross-border firing was reported from Mendhar, Sabzian and Shahpur sectors of neighbouring Poonch either. These areas too witnessed ceasefire violations past week, triggering migration of border dwellers.

The slain soldier has been identified as 28-year-old Rifleman Jayadrath Singh. “The martyred jawan was a resident of village Bhagwanpur in Deoband area of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh and is survived by his wife Mamta Devi,” a defence spokesman in Jammu said.

The spokesman said the Pakistani troops are using small arms, automatics and mortars to target Indian side of the LoC and that Indian troops are retaliating to the “unprovoked” firing and shelling “strongly and effectively”.

Singh is the fourth Army jawan martyred in the Pakistani firing and shelling along the LoC in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch this week. Several civilians were also killed or wounded in the firing. Casualties among soldiers and civilians were reported also from the other side of the de facto border.

Schools and other educational institutions remained shut in the areas falling in close proximity to the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch on the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.

As many as four thousand people of the affected villages of Rajouri district alone have shifted to safer locations in view of the flare-up.