J&K: SOLDIER DIES IN PAK SHELLING
JAMMU:: An Indian soldier died on Friday after Pakistani troops opened heavy fire and shot mortars on Indian posts and forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district .
In the exchange of fire, Naik Subash Thapa, 25, suffered severe injuries. Thapa was air evacuated to Command Hospital, Udhampur for medical management where he succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom. He belonged to Panighata village, Siliguri, Darjeeling, West Bengal, and is survived by his mother.
Indian Army responded strongly and effectively inflicting substantial damage to Pakistan Army defences and troops.
Naik Subash Thapa was a brave, highly motivated and sincere soldier. The Nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty.
“The soldier sustained serious injuries on Friday morning and he was immediately evacuated in a helicopter to Command Hospital in Udhampur where he succumbed to his injuries at 3pm,” said defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand.
Col Anand said on Friday around 5.50am Pakistani troops opened unprovoked fire and shot mortars on the Indian posts.
“Indian troops retaliated strongly and the exchanges lasted till 7.30am. However, during the gunfight, a soldier sustained serious injuries. He later succumbed to his injuries in Udhampur. The nation will remain indebted to the supreme sacrifice of the martyr,” he added. The spokesman said that details of the martyr will be shared soon. Earlier, on October 10, Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing unprovoked in the Degwar area of Poonch.
On October 3, Pakistan army violated the ceasefire and targeted the villages along the LoC and International Border in Poonch and Kathua district of J&K. Pakistan army resorted to heavy weaponry firing and mortar shelling targeting dozens of villages and forward posts along the LoC in Shahpur and Gountriya areas in Poonch.
On Thursday, a Pakistani soldier Naimat Wali died in India’s retaliatory fire across the LoC in Poonch district
“Indian Army troops ceasefire violation in Baroh and Chirikot Sector along LoC. Sepoy Naimat Wali embraced Shahadat (death) while two women in Serian village got injured. Pakistan Army troops targeted Indian Army posts in response. Post substantially damaged. Reports of casualties to Indian troops”, Pakistan Army’s publicity wing— Inter Services Public Relations posted on its website on Thursday. There has been a spurt in Pak shelling and firing on the LoC ever since India revoked Article 370 from J&K on August 5 and 6.
There have been over 2,050 unprovoked ceasefire violations this year by Pakistan in which 22 Indians have been killed. Pakistan has sought to use the changes in J&K, described by India as an internal matter, to internationalise the issue. Indian officials have rejected the Pakistani leadership’s contention that the matter could lead to war and accused Pak of using the issue to promote jihad and cross-border terrorism.