TWO ARMY JAWANS KILLED IN VALLEY

YUSUF JAMEEL | DC SRINAGAR, JUNE 22 Two Army soldiers were on Thursday killed by a Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.

The Army sources in Jammu said that one “intruder” was killed in the Indian troops’ retaliatory action and that the operation was underway as reports last came in. “The martyred soldiers were part of an Army patrolling party moving in own area along the LoC when the BAT intruders attacked them,” the sources said.

Two Army soldiers were on Thursday killed when Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire along the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

The clash came after the Indian troops repulsed an attack by a Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) which had intruded 600 metres deep inside the Indian territory after breaching the LOC and may have repeated past actions of beheading Indian soldiers, the Army officials said.

One of the intruders was killed in the swift Indian action but a second intruder managed to escape and return to POK under cover fire from Pakistani troops, the officials said.

They added that heavy exchange of fire between the facing armies was underway as reports last came in. Two Indian soldiers were martyred in the Pakistani firing, they added.

The Army sources in Jammu and Delhi said that the BAT attack started around 2 pm. "After walking about 600 meters into the Indian side, they were 200 meters from the Army post when confronted,” the sources said. A statement issued by the Army added, “Own Area Domination Patrol was targeted by armed intruders and an exchange of fire occurred.”