The Army on Monday said Pakistani troops killed two jawans and mutilated their bodies near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Pir Panchal Valley’s Poonch district.
Pakistani soldiers along with their Border Action Team (BAT), which include trained border inhabitants, launched a joint attack early in the day. They first fired rockets and followed this up with firing from automatic weapons, near Kranti Post located in Poonch’s Krishna Ghati Sector around 8.30 a.m.
The Pakistanis then crossed the LoC, entered 200 metres into Indian territory, and attacked a joint patrol of the Army and Border Security Force (BSF), heading towards a nearby post.
“In an unsoldierly act, the Pakistan Army mutilated the bodies of two jawans. Such a despicable act will be appropriately responded to,” the Army said. Sources said “it was a case of beheading.”
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley termed the mutilation a “reprehensible and an inhuman act” and said such acts don't even take place “during war let alone peace.”
“Bodies of soldiers being mutilated is an extreme form of barbaric act. The Government of India strongly condemns this act and the whole country has full confidence and faith in our armed forces which will react appropriately to this inhuman act. The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain,” Mr. Jaitley said.
The attack triggered a major exchange of fire on the LoC and Indian troops resorted to small arms fire and mortar shelling, said an Army official.
The deceased personnel were identified as BSF head constable Prem Sagar of the 200 Battalion and the Army’s Naik Subedar Paramjit Singh of 22 Sikh Regiment. Another BSF jawan was also injured.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army denied the alleged ceasefire violation or the mutilation of bodies.
“Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation on LoC as alleged by India. The Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers is also false,” M. Nafees Zakaria, spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted.
The Pakistan Army is a highly professional force and will never disrespect a soldier, he said in another tweet.
Kashmir witnessed an incident of mutilation of a soldier by Pakistani troops in Machil sector in November last year. Around 65 ceasefire violations were reported on the LoC this year.
The fresh Pakistan attack comes just a day after its chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir where he pledged support “to the rightful political struggle of Kashmiris.”
Rawat visits Panzgam
Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on Monday visited the Panzgam garrison in Kashmir. Officials said it was a pre-scheduled visit.
Terrorists last week attacked an Army camp in Panzgam, killing three personnel including an officer. Gen. Rawat was briefed on the encounter and he later “took stock of the enhanced security measures.”
Earlier instances when bodies of jawans were mutilated
May 1999: During the 1999 Kargil conflict, Pakistani troops mutilated the body of Captain Saurabh Kalia
June 2008: A soldier of the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles was beheaded in the Kel sector
January 2013: In Mendhar, J&K, a jawan was beheaded by Pakistani troops
October 2016: In Machil sector, a soldier's body was mutilated
May 1, 2017: Two soldiers were killed and mutilated by the Pakistan Army
