Major, BSF man injured in cross-LoC fire
Pak says, woman died in Indian fire on Wednesday
Jammu/Islamabad: An army officer and a Border Security Force (BSF) man were injured in an attack carried out by Pakistan army in forward area of Rajouri district on Thursday, an official spokesman said.
Official sources said that at about 13:45 hours, a joint team of Indian Army 15 JAKLI and 59 BSF launched a search operation in forward area of Village Tarkundi.
During the search operation, bullets were fired from forest area on operation party as a result of which Major Joginder Ihirwar and Head Constable Ali Mumtaz of BSF were seriously injured.
Both the injured were taken to a nearby health facility where from critically wounded army major was airlifted to military’s command hospital in Udhampur.
Station House Officer (SHO), Manjakote Barkat Qureshi said that the duo was injured apparently due to firing by Pakistan army, a local news agency GNS reported.
Earlier, a defense spokesman said that Pakistan army violated ceasefire for a third consecutive day Thursday, shelling forward posts and civilian areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district inviting a strong retaliation from Indian forces, officials said.
On Wednesday as well, Pakistani troops had fired on and shelled the Kalal forward area in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district twice, they said.
The continuous shelling and firing on villages has set in a fear psychosis among the border dwellers.
The chief of northern commander, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, had Monday visited forward areas along the LoC and reviewed security situation in Jammu and Rajouri districts, officials said.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani official said on Wednesday that a mortar shell fired by Indian troops killed a woman as she was trying to reach a shelter during an exchange of fire between India and Pakistan.
Akhtar Ayub said the woman, identified as Sajida Bibi, was “martyred” Wednesday when the shell hit her near the bunker in Bugna village north of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled section of Kashmir.
He says Pakistani troops returned fire.
