Srinagar: An Army porter was killed in Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Wednesday.
Rajouri’s DC Asad Aijaz Muhammad while quoting the Army said that three civilian porters working with its 24 MLI came under fire from across the de facto border in forward area of Deeing in Nowshehra sector of the district.
While two others escaped unhurt, one porter identified as Bodh Raj received two bullets and died soon thereafter. 55-year-old Raj was a resident of Deeing village of the Nowshehra sector.
A defence spokesman in winter capital Jammu said that the Pakistani troops resorted to “unprovoked” firing in the area at around 12 pm.
It said that the civilian porter injured in the firing was immediately evacuated for medical aid but he succumbed to his injuries. The spokesman said that the Indian Army retaliated to the “Pakistan belligerence in a befitting manner.”
The Army authorities have promised all possible assistance and help to the family of the deceased, he added. On Monday, the facing armies had exchanged heavy small arms and mortar fire along the LoC in Rajouri’s Pukharni, Lam and Keri areas, forcing the authorities to shut all schools falling within five kilometres from the de facto border in the affected areas. The schools had reopened only on Wednesday.
Earlier on December 21, two junior officers of the Army were killed in a sniper attack from across the LoC in Kupwara district of Kashmir Valley.
According to the Army, the Pakistani troops had in violation of the November 2003 ceasefire understanding targeted a post of its 2/8 GR in Jumgund area along the LoC with sniper fire, injuring two Junior Commissioned Officers.
The injured JCOs identified as Subedars Gamar Thapa and Raman Thapa were immediately evacuated to the hospital but both of them succumbed to their injuries.
The Army had said that it will “more than avenge” the killing of the JCO’s “at a time and place of our choosing”. Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, had condemned the killings and said that the Indian Army will avenge the killing of its men by Pakistani troops.
