A day after two soldiers were killed and mutilated [beheaded] by the Pakistan Army near the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Army’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt expressed “grave concern about the incident” in the weekly conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Maj. Gen. Shahir Shamshad Mirza who rejected the charges as “baseless” and asked for “actionable evidence.”
“The DGMO has conveyed concern about the presence of Border Action Team (BAT) training camps in the close vicinity of the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The DGMO conveyed that such a dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response,” the Army said in a statement on Tuesday.
On Monday a joint patrol team of the Army-Border Security Force (BSF) was ambushed by a Pakistan Army BAT in KG sector in Kashmir 200 metres inside the LoC and two jawans were killed and their bodies mutilated.
Lt. Gen. Bhatt also stated that full fire support was provided by the Pakistan Army post located in the vicinity of the incident.
These charges were promptly rejected by the Pakistan DGMO.
Kiren Rijiju pays his respect to BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the DGMO “rejected the baseless and unfounded Indian allegations of [killing] mutilation” of Indian soldiers by the Pakistan Army.
Maj. Gen. Mirza said no Cease Fire Violations (CFV) occurred in the alleged sector, nor was the LoC crossed by Pakistani troops.
“The DGMO highlighted that the Pakistan Army is a professional military outfit and upholds the highest standards of conduct. Allegations of mutilation are an Indian attempt to divert the attention of the world from the situation within the valley,” the ISPR said.
Also, Maj. Gen. Mirza asked for “actionable evidence” and said the Indian Army should look “inwards to probe the incident.”
The ISPR statement said Maj. Gen. Mirza also told his Indian counterpart that Pakistan was fully committed to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LoC. However, “any misadventure shall be appropriately responded [to] at a place and time of own choosing.”
Meanwhile, the two sides on Tuesday continued exchange of fire on the border with small arms and mortars.
