Two Army soldiers and three civilians were killed as Pakistan troops continued to fire mortars at the Indian positions and…
Representational Image (Photo: Getty Images)
Two Army soldiers and three civilians were killed as Pakistan troops continued to fire mortars at the Indian positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LOC) and International Border (IB) for the third consecutive day on Saturday.
One of these soldiers was killed yesterday evening in the Rajouri sector.
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Reports said that three jawans of BSF and several civilians were injured in the Ranbirsinghpura sector of Jammu district.
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A Colonel NN Joshi, spokesman of the Army, said that a 23 years old soldier Mandeep Singh was grievously injured in exchange of fire as Pakistan troops initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of automatics and small arms in the Krishna Ghati sector along the LOC in Rajouri. Later, he succumbed to his injuries.
Mandeep Singh belonged to the village Alampur in the Sangrur district of Punjab.
Another soldier, Lance Naik Sam Abraham was killed last evening in the Sunderbani sector along the LOC where the Pakistani troops fired mortars on Indian positions. The 34 years Sam belonged to village Poonakam in the district Allepey of Kerala.
The shelling by the Pakistan troops that was earlier confined to Arnia and Ranbirsinghpura in Jammu district, has now spread along the entire IB falling in the districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua and the LOC in the Rajouri and Poonch districts.
The Indian Army and about 32 posts of BSF are strongly and effectively retaliating and a Petroleum depot and ammunition dump of the Pakistan Rangers across the IB were destroyed. Reports said that more than five Pakistan Rangers were killed when the BSF destroyed atleast six positions from where they were firing mortars in the Indian territory.
About 9000 residents of the forward areas have been shifted to camps at safe places and all education institutions within 5 kms radius of the IB have been shut till further orders.
National Conference and Congress members raised the issue in the Assembly and walked out of the House accusing the government of having failed to protect the life of innocent people living near the IB.
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