Army officer killed in Pak sniper attack

An army officer was killed while another was critically injured in a sniper fire by Pakistani army along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district on Friday.

Sources said that Pakistani troops resorted to ceasefire violation and fired with sniper upon the army’s 2/8 GR posts in Jumgund area along the LoC, in Kupwara.

“Two army officers suffered serious injuries in the attack and the injured were immediately evacuated to military hospital Drugmulla, where junior commissioned officer (JCO) Subidar Gamar Thapa (42) succumbed to his injuries,” they said.

The injured other injured has been identified as JCO Subedar Raman Thapa who has been referred to army’s 92 base hospital in Badamibagh, Srinagar for advanced treatment. Senior Superintend Police (SSP) Kupwara, A S Dinker confirmed the killing of an army officer in Pakistani sniper attack.

In November three Indian soldiers were killed due to sniper attack along the LoC south of Pir Panjal range. The ceasefire violations and sniper attacks by Pakistani troops are on rise with 70 persons, including civilians and security personnel, getting killed and 232 people injured in 1,435 ceasefire violations in the first seven months of the year.

Sources said Pakistani troops have positioned snipers at odd locations close to the forward posts to target Indian troopers proceeding on long patrols and forward locations. "Pak Army relies on their team of snipers to target Indian positions and in the last two years, several Indian troopers have lost their lives in sniper shots," they revealed.

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