An Indian soldier was killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir following a ceasefire violation by Pakistan, Army sources said on Monday.
The ceasefire violation took place at 1 pm on Sunday as Pakistan resorted to mortar shelling and small arms firing on forward posts and villages along the Line of Control in Poonch sector.
The deceased soldier is identified as Grenadier Hemraj Jat by the Army. He was 23 years old.
Jat sustained fatal injuries while manning a forward post in Shahpur-Kerni area. Jat was from Rajasthan’s Alwar district and had been commissioned into the Army in 2017.
“Indian forces retaliated befittingly to the shelling by Pakistan,” the official added.
Pakistan has upped the ante at the LoC through repeated ceasefire violations ever since the special category status to Jammu and Kashmir was withdrawn.
There had been more than of 275 instances of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in August and more than 220 ceasefire violations were reported since the abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution in the valley.
The ceasefire violation by Pakistan comes a day after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat visited Jammu and Kashmir and reviewed the prevailing situation and preparedness of the Armed forces.
The firing from across the border was intense and was still continuing when last reports were received, said the official.