Three Pakistani troops killed in fresh border clash
KARACHI: At least three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a clash with Indian border guards on the disputed Kashmir border, Anadolu Agency reported, quoting a military statement yesterday.
The incident, the latest in a series of border clashes between the two nuclear neighbours in recent years, occurred in the Rawlakot sector’s Rakhchakri area along the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border that divides the disputed Himalayan valley between the two countries, after a break of only a couple of weeks.
“Three brave sons of the soil laid down their lives in the line of duty... in the Rakhchakri, Rawalakot sector along the LoC,” said a statement from Inter
Three brave sons of the soil laid down their lives in the line of duty... in the Rakhchakri, Rawalakot sector along the LoC. Statement from Inter-Services Public Relations
Services Public Relations ( ISPR), the army’s media wing.
One soldier was also injured in the clash, the ISPR said.
“The Pakistan army responded effectively. [ There are] reports of casualties on the Indian side,” it added.
The two longtime rivals have been locked in diplomatic and military tensions following a suicide attack on an army convoy in Indian- administered Kashmir in February that killed more than 40 Indian troops. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of colluding with militant group Jaish- e-Mohammad, which reportedly claimed responsibility for the brazen attack. Pakistan denied the charge. Tensions mounted further after Indian jets intruded into Pakistan’s airspace and bombed a suspected militant hideout near the border in February.
The next day, Pakistan’s air force downed two jets and captured a pilot, who was later released.