No let-up in firing from Pak side in Poonch

Troops use 10,000 rounds of heavy machine gun fire
 One jawan killed
 2 Pak soldiers injured as Army retaliates
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria/ Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
Jammu/New Delhi, June 14
While a soldier who had been critically injured in Pak firing on Indian forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in KG sector of Poonch district yesterday, was brought dead last night, calibrated response of the Indian Army injured two Pak soldiers.

Reports from agencies say there has been no let-up in the firing.

The slain soldier has been identified as Lance Naik Harvinder Singh. “Had Pak troops de-escalated the situation after we passed on to them a message on hotline, the life of the soldier could have been saved,” said official sources.

“In fact, the firing escalated as a result of action rooted in other Pak posts, using rockets and heavy automatics, to prevent evacuation of the injured jawan,” said Jammu-based Defence PRO, Col RK Palta.

The soldier had been hit in the neck.

A message was passed through the hotline to Pakistan, for exercise of restraint towards de-escalation of the situation. Pakistan troops, however, continued firing on Indian posts and in response, Indian troops carried out controlled and effective retaliation, added Col Palta.

Sources said the two soldiers sent to evacuate their colleague were also hit by Pak firing. They were, however, evacuated to Command Hospital in Udhampur, where they are recuperating.

Another soldier was also hit by Pak firing, but he had sustained minor injuries, they said, adding that this soldier had been administered first aid at a forward post along the LoC.

Three injured jawans have been identified as PP Bakar, Jai Parminder and Balwinder Singh.

Army sources said even this morning and during the day, Pak troops continued intermittent mortar and automatic firing.

They added that the Indian troops, in a bid to de-escalate matters, exercised restraint today and didn’t retaliate to Pak firing.

Sources also confirmed that calibrated response of the Indian Army to unwarranted and unprovoked firing by Pak troops resulted in injuries to two of their soldiers.

Meanwhile, an agency report from Islamabad claimed that two Pakistani civilians, including a woman, were seriously injured in alleged firing by Indian troops in the Battal sector of the Line of Control on their side.

The Indian side believes that the fire was aimed at providing cover to infiltrators from Pakistan across the LoC.

Some 10,000 rounds of heavy machine gun were used by Pakistani troops during “intense, unprovoked” firing since Wednesday. Defence sources have termed it as a severe violation of the ceasefire by Pakistan.

Pakistani troops have been firing constantly at a specific location in areas around Krishna Ghati — some 180 km south-west of Srinagar. The firing has left the Indian military authorities guessing about the motive of the other side. Defence sources said the Pakistani firing was not connected to any localised event or development on the ground along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K.

Militants trying to sneak into this side of the border are usually given such a covering fire, sources said, adding the militants are then pushed in through the gaps on the barbed wire fence.

The gun battle was going on till today evening. On the Pakistani target are two Indian posts at ‘Nangi Tekri’ and ‘Kranti Post’. The Indian side has so far not reinforced its troops. Source said the Battalion responding to the Pakistanis is well equipped.

Sources say firing is carried out when equipment is being moved or something is being built across the border. This is to distract the men in the operational watch towers to prevent them from seeing any build-up.

Another reason is the Indian battalion located in the sector moved in only a month ago. The Pakistanis could be “testing it out.”

(With inputs from IANS)

Unprovoked firing

Lance Naik Harvinder Singh, critically injured in Pakistani firing along the LoC, was confirmed dead
A message was passed through the hotline to Pakistan, for exercise of restraint to de-escalate the situation
Pakistan troops, however, continued firing on Indian posts and in response, Indian troops retaliated. The calibrated response resulted in injuries to two Pakistani soldiers

No let-up in firing from Pak side in Poonch