Jawan killed in Pak sniper attack

An Army jawan was killed and three others were wounded in a sniper attack from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Wednesday.

The Army officials here said that Pakistani troops targeted the Indian soldiers deployed at their ‘Pimple Post’ in Kupwara’s Keran sector earlier during the day, injuring four jawans of 5/9 GR unit of the Indian Army. They were airlifted to Srinagar and admitted to the Army’s 92-Base Hospital at Badami Bagh Cantonment where one of them identified as Rajesh Khatri was declared dead on arrival. The condition of another soldier is stated to be critical.

The Army sources said that it was a sniper attack carried out from across the de facto border as the area was calm till this incident took place. However, after the incident, the facing armies exchanged small arms for some time in this sector, the sources said.

A defence spokesman here added that the “unprovoked action” by the Pakistani troops in violation of the November 2003 ceasefire agreement leaving one jawan dead and three others wounded evoked “necessary and adequate” response from the Indian troops. However, it is not yet know if the Pakistani troops suffered any casualties in the Indian “retaliatory action”.

On September 15, a Border Security Force (BSF) constable Bijender Bahadur was killed in the firing by Pakistan Rangers in Arnia sector along the International Border (IB) in Jammu district of the State.

Earlier the LoC in neighbouring Poonch and Rajouri districts witnessed repeated ceasefire violations by the Pakistan troops for days.