Soldier killed in Pak firing

Trapped school kids moved to bulletproof bunkers

Tension further escalated along the Line of Control (LoC) as a soldier was killed in fresh ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Nowgam sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Tuesday.

A source said the soldier from the 17 Infantry Brigade was killed when a Pakistani sniper fired at him at Sangam post. “Heavy firing and shelling were going on in the area as Indian troops were retaliating with heavy weapons on Pakistani posts,” the source said.

This was the second incident of a soldier’s death in cross-border firing in as many days. On Monday, a trooper and a 9-year-old girl were killed in Pakistani shelling at forward posts and civilian areas in Rajouri district.

Last week, two army men were killed after they were hit by sniper fire from the Pakistani side near Furkian Gali in Keran sector of Kupwara district. Earlier in the day, the Pakistani army resorted to indiscriminate shelling and firing along the LoC in Poonch district and Rajouri’s Nowshera sector. An army personnel was injured in shelling from across the border in Mendhar area of Poonch.

An official said that Lance Naik Navjot Singh of 581 Artillery regiment was hit by splinters in his eye at Sabra Gali in Mendhar sector.

Reports said more than 60 students had got trapped inside two schools in Nowshera after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire. The children were asked to stay back after one of the mortar shells hit a school van, the authorities said.

They were later rescued and moved to bulletproof bunkers by the security forces. Another source said that Pakistani troops started heavy mortar shelling and firing, targeting several forward defence locations and civilian areas in Manjakote, Balakote and Mendhar sectors along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts. Indian troops gave a befitting response to Pakistan’s ceasefire violations at all the places.

The cross-LoC bus service between Poonch-Rawlakote route remained suspended in view of heavy Pakistan shelling, leaving 55 people from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir stranded in Rajouri and Poonch districts.