Soldier killed in mysterious gunfire along LoC in Poonch

Indian soldier died in a mysterious gunfire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar area of Poonch district on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

While police has called it a sniper fire from across the LoC, the army maintained that it was an “accidental fire”.

Sub divisional police officer (SDPO) of Mendhar Shahid Nayeem said, “As per initial investigations, the soldier was hit by a sniper fire from across the LoC at around 1 am on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday at a forward post. He has been identified as Manmohan Budhani of 20 Kumaon Regiment and is a native of Nainital.”

He added, “The local army unit also told us that it was a sniping action and it appeared that some terrorists had come close to the LoC on their side and opened a sniper fire killing the soldier on the spot.”

The officer said that the incident took place in BalonI area of Mendhar Tehsil and he can’t understand why defence spokesperson has been calling it an “accidental fire”.

The defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta, however, maintained that the soldier died of an “accidental discharge” in Mendhar area.

On March 9, Sepoy Deepak Jagannath Ghadge of Maharashtra had died after he was attacked by a similar sniper fire by Pakistan in Gulpur area of Poonch.

Pakistan army frequently resorts to sniping fire and at the same time it has always been on a look out to plan mines inside the Indian territory to inflict casualties on Indian patrols.