An army soldier was killed in action after the Pakistan army resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire violation on the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani Sector of J&K's Rajouri district on Thursday night. Army said the Pakistani aggression drew a strong response from the Indian side.
"Our troops responded strongly to the enemy fire," an army statement said. "In the incident, Hav Mathiazhagan P. was critically injured. The soldier was evacuated to Army Hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries".
Soldier died in ceasefire
Hav Mathiazhagan P belonged to Village Sreerangai Kadu, Tehsil Idappadi, District Salem, Tamil Nadu.
"Hav Mathiazhagan P was a brave, highly motivated, and a sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the statement added.
His body will be taken by road from Akhnoor to Jammu and then to Delhi in an aircraft. From the national capital, it will be taken to Coimbatore, said an official.
Ceasefire violation continues
Pakistan also violated the ceasefire in the front sector of Poonch district on Thursday night.
A defense spokesperson said Pakistan initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation at about 10:45 pm by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kirni sector.
The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly, the spokesperson added.
He said that a large scale search has begun in Kalakote of Rajouri district after a terrorist was killed by security forces in an operation in the area late on Thursday.
"Acting upon hard intelligence, security forces eliminated one terrorist in Dharmsal village in Kalakote area of Rajouri district. We suspect that two to three ultras are hiding there," a source said.
A local said security forces exchanged fire with terrorists in Dharmsal village around 8.15 pm. There has been a spurt in terror attacks and infiltration bids in Jammu and Kashmir during the lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Pakistan has been relentlessly opening heavy fire on Indian posts and villages along the 744-km LoC for more than two and a half months.
