In a barbaric attack, Pakistan on Monday killed and mutilated two security personnel along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. The brutal attack has been condemned and the Indian army has vowed revenge. The Indian Army has said that such “despicable” acts of Pakistan’s army would be “appropriately responded” to.
“It was a pre-planed operation of Pakistan army. They had pushed in BATs over 250 metres deep inside Indian territory and set up ambushes for a long period to carry out the attack,” a senior army officer said.
Here’s what all happened:
The Pakistan Border action teams (BATs) sneaked about 250 metres into the Indian territory. Pakistan army resorted to heavy rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts in Poonch’s Krishna Ghati sector. The ceasefire violation by Pakistan started at 8:40 AM in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan fired RPG on Indian posts followed by mortars. The Pakistan BAT (Border Action Team) attacked came 250 meters inside Indian side.
The Pakistani army targeted patrol between two posts which was a joint patrol of Army and BSF consisting of 10 soldiers.
An army JCO and a BSF head constable were killed and another soldier was injured in the attack, a defence spokesman said.
Pakistan’s Army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts on the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati Sector (in Poonch district) this morning, a spokesman of the Indian Army’s Northern Command said in statement here.
Simultaneously, a BAT operation was launched on a patrol operating between the two posts, it said.
ALSO READ | Poonch: Bodies of two Indian soldiers mutilated by Pakistani troops, Indian army warns of 'appropriate response'
“In a unsoldierly act by the Pak Army the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated,” the spokesman said. “They have been beheaded,” the senior army officer said.
The deceased have been identified as Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of the BSF and Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Regiment of the army.
Constable Rajinder Singh of the BSF battalion suffered injuries in the attack. A BSF officer said troops guarding the border line retaliated effectively, he said.
Pakistan denies violating ceasefire:
Pakistan has denied to commit any ceasefire violation on LoC and has said that India’s claim of mutilating Indian soldiers is not true.
“Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation on LoC as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers is also false,” M Nafees Zakaria, Spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan, said.
“Pakistan Army is highly professional force and will never disrespect a soldier,”
What Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said?
ALSO READ | Pak troops violated ceasefire 268 times along LoC in last one year, faced appropriate retaliation by Indian Army
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has called the incident a reprehensible and inhumane act. Strongly condemning the act, Jaitley said that Indian soldiers being mutilated by Pakistan is an extreme form of barbaric act.
“This is a reprehensible and inhumane act, such attacks don't even take place during war, let alone peace. Bodies of soldiers being mutilated is an extreme form of barbaric act. Govt of India strongly condemns this act. Country has full confidence & faith in armed forces which will react appropriately. Sacrifice of these 2 soldiers won't go in vain,” he said.
Recent incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan:
In April this year, there have been seven ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.
On April 19, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch sector. On April 17, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing and shelling mortars on forward posts in Noushera sector along the LoC in Rajouri district.
They had broken the ceasefire in the same sector on April 8, in Poonch district on April 5, in Bhimbher Gali (BG) sector on April 4 and twice on April 3 in Balakote and (Digwar) Poonch sectors.
In Digwar sector of Poonch, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), Naib Subedar S Sanayaima Som, was killed in an improvise explosive device (IED) blast along the LoC in Poonch sector on April 1.
There were four violations of the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch in March.
In 2016 there were 228 instances of ceasefire violation along the LoC, while there were 221 instances of ceasefire violation along the International Border (IB).
(With inputs from PTI)
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