Soldier killed in Pakistani firing along LoC in Kashmir

An army soldier was killed in fresh cease-fire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday.

Sources said Lance Naik Rajender Singh of Rashtriya Rifles was killed Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian posts in Machil sector along the LoC. Lance Naik Rajender Singh of 57 Rashtriya Rifles suffered critical injuries in Pakistan firing. He was taken to a nearby medical facility, but he succumbed to critical injuries, they said.

A defence spokesman said the Pakistani troops targeted the sector in the early hours of Saturday, prompting retaliation by the Indian Army. The Rashtriya Rifle soldiers were maintaining a vigil on the LoC border fence when the incident occurred.

While Pakistan has been continuously violating ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu region, it was after several weeks they restored to unprovoked firing along the LoC in Kashmir region. On Monday a soldier was killed in cease-fire violation by Pakistan along the LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district in Jammu.

Border skirmishes witnessed a spurt after India's pre-emptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

The constant firing and shelling along the LoC and the international border (IB) has triggered panic prompting many families to seek shelter in safer areas. The life for border people is much more difficult not only because of lack of facilities but especially due to antagonistic relationship between India and Pakistan.

There is 198 km IB and over 510 km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.