SRINAGAR: A soldier was killed as Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire and fired on army posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani sector of border district of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday while troops averted a major tragedy by detecting and defusing a 5 kgs Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on a road in outskirts of Srinagar planted by militants to target security forces.
Defence spokesman Colonel N N Joshi said Pakistan Army breached border ceasefire and resorted to unprovoked firing on Indian Army posts at LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district today.
He said the army men guarding the LoC returned the fire effectively.
“During the exchange of fire, Lance Naik Yogesh Muralidhar Bhadane, was grievously injured. He was shifted to hospital, where he succumbed to injuries,” Joshi said.
Bhadane, 28, belonged to village Khalane, Maharshtra and is survived by wife Punam Yogesh.
“Bhadane was a brave and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” the defence spokesman said.
Meanwhile, security forces today detected and defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in outskirts of Srinagar planted by militants to target security forces convoy.
A CRPF official said security forces received inputs early this morning that militants had planted an IED somewhere between Shalateng and Noora hospital in outskirts of Srinagar to target troops.
He said after receiving inputs, police, CRPF and army men laid siege around Shalateng area and conducted searches in the area to detect the explosive device.
“The dog squad and explosive teams were also pressed into service to detect the IED. At around 9 am, through our dog squad we came to know that IED was planted on midway of the road, where divider lies, to target security forces convoy,” the CRPF officer said.
He said the experts of bomb disposal squad were rushed to the spot and defused the IED, which was weighing about five kgs.
The CRPF official said the major tragedy was averted by the timely detection and defusing of the IED.
On January 6, four policemen were killed in a powerful IED blast triggered by Jaish-e-Mohammad militants.
It was the first IED blast in the Valley since 2015.
Security forces are on high alert in Valley ahead of Republic Day in view of apprehension that militants may attempt to create disturbances during the functions.