LoC encounter: India summons Pak official

The same day, seven civilians were killed in Kulgam in South Kashmir when locals stormed an encounter site where security forces were battling a group of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists from Pakistan.
Jawans carry the body of SSB constable Vijay Kumar who was killed in a militant attack in Pulwama on Sunday  | PTI
Jawans carry the body of SSB constable Vijay Kumar who was killed in a militant attack in Pulwama on Sunday | PTI

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday lodged a strong diplomatic protest against the killing of three Indian troopers by Pakistani intruders in Rajouri near the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday, and demanded that Islamabad take back the bodies of two of its terrorists killed in the encounter.

“A senior official in the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs and a demarche was made lodging strong protest at the fatal casualties of Indian soldiers during an attempted cross border infiltration on 21 October 2018 by Pakistani terrorists in Sunderbani Sector in Jammu and Kashmir,” an MEA release said Tuesday.

“It was informed that two Pakistani armed intruders have been killed by the Indian security forces during the ensuing firefight and the Government of Pakistan take custody of the dead bodies of its nationals,” it said.

The Ministry, “condemned in the strongest terms such provocative action by Pakistan, which reveals their complicity in aiding and abetting terrorism and exposes the hollowness of Pakistan’s deceitful claims to promote constructive engagement and desire for peace,” it said.

The troops died in “a fierce encounter with heavily armed Pakistani intruders,” said Indian Army spokesman Lt Colonel Devender Anand, adding that the Army too had requested the Pakistani military to take back the bodies of the two intruders killed on Sunday.  

The same day, seven civilians were killed in Kulgam in South Kashmir when locals stormed an encounter site where security forces were battling a group of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists from Pakistan. While six of the civilians died when explosives left over by some slain terrorists went off, another was killed in the cross-fire between the terrorists and security forces. Three terrorists were also killed, and 30 civilians were injured in the clashes with the police

On Monday, The MEA had reacted sharply to newly-elected Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s tweet condemning ‘Indian atrocities’ in Kashmir, and demanding that India abide by UN resolutions on Kashmir. “Pakistan leadership should look inwards and address its own issues,” said MEA spokersperson Raveesh Kumar.

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