2 soldiers killed, 5 injured in Pakistani firing in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch

The Indian army said they also foiled 2 infiltration bids and inflicted heavy damage to several Pakistani posts across LoC.

Poonch: Two army jawans were killed and five others – two soldiers, two civilian women and a BSF officer – were injured as Pakistani army opened unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati and Poonch sectors of Poonch district on Sunday, violating the ceasefire.

In Krishna Ghati, Pakistani army opened fire in a bid to facilitate two infiltration bids, killing one soldier, an army officer said, adding that the attempts to push in infiltrators have been foiled.

In Poonch sector, at least four places came under indiscriminate shelling and firing by Pakistani army, targeting civil and defence facilities and civilian areas. An army jawan was killed and five others were injured in the

Pakistani firing in Poonch sector which continued till last reports came in, the officer said.

The Indian army said that while the infiltration bids were foiled, it has also inflicted heavy damage to several Pakistani posts across the Line of Control in Poonch sector.

\"One soldier was killed in Krishna Ghati sector earlier in the day while foiling infiltration bids, another soldier was killed and five others were injured in cross-border firing in the Poonch sector of Poonch district,\" the officer said.

The soldier killed in the Krishna Ghati sector has been identified as Sepoy Gursewak Singh (23) of 22 Sikh Regiment. Singh is a resident of Taran Taran area of Punjab.

The injured women have been identified Saleema Akhtar and Zareefa Begum, both residents of Poonch. Zareefa Begum works as a special police officer. They have been admitted to a hospital in Poonch where their conditions were stated to be stable, a police officer said.

\"The identities of the soldiers killed and injured in Poonch sector will be shared later after their families are informed,\" the army officer said.

A sub-inspector of BSF, identified as Nitin Kumar, also sustained splinter injuries and he was evacuated to the Army hospital where his condition is stated to be stable, a BSF officer said.

Meanwhile, the army said that unprovoked ceasefire violation in Poonch sector continued.

\"Unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan army in Poonch sector from 1015 hours using 120 mm mortars, 82 mm mortars and automatic weapons,\" an army spokesman said, adding that \"our troops are responding befittingly, there has been heavy damage to Pakistan army posts.\"

\"The army foiled two infiltration bids on the intervening night of November 5, 6 along Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati Sector,\" he said.

\"The infiltrators opened fire while trying to sneak back towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir side of the Line of Control (LoC). In the ensuing firefight with infiltrators, Sepoy Gursewak Singh suffered gunshot wound and succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated,\" he said.

(This story first appeared in Deccan Chronicle)