SRINAGAR: At least four soldiers, including an Army captain, were killed and five others, including two civilians, injured in firing and mortar shelling by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.
An army official said Pakistani troops breached the border ceasefire in Bhimbar Gali sector of Rajouri district and fired from automatic weapons and resorted to mortar shelling on Army positions and civilian areas.
He said soldiers deployed at the LoC returned the fire with weapons of similar calibre.
Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Shahid Chouhdary, told The New Indian Express that Pakistani troops resorted to firing and mortar shelling along the entire stretch of LoC in the Rajouri district. He said four army men, including a captain, were killed and another critically injured.
The deceased were identified as Captain Kapil Kundu, Rifleman Ram Avtar, Rifleman Shubam Singh and Havaldar Roshan Lal. The injured soldier was identified as Lance Naik Iqbal Ahmad.
A defence spokesman said the killing of four Army men would not go in vain. “The unprovoked action by Pakistani Army will be given a befitting response,” he said.
Sources said an Army post in Rajouri was hit by mortars fired by Pakistani troops.
“Five soldiers, including an officer manning the post, sustained critical splinter injuries and were evacuated to a hospital, where four of them, including a captain, succumbed to their injuries,” a source said.
Two BSF personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector, and two civilians were also injured in the firing and shelling. The injured have been hospitalized.
In view of the intense cross-border firing and shelling, the authorities have decided to close all schools close to the LoC in Rajouri for the next three days.