Five Indian soldiers killed in LoC firing, claims Pakistan

Only a resident of Poonch was injured, says Army officer.

Jawans cordon off the area after an attack in Qazigund, south Kashmir, on Saturday. Photo: Special arrangement

Pakistan on Saturday claimed that five Indian soldiers were killed and many injured in its firing across the Line of Control. The Indian Army was quick to deny any such casualties.

“Indian unprovoked CFV [Cease Fire Violation] at Tatta Pani along the LoC violently responded. Indian bunkers destroyed, 5 Indian sldrs [soldiers] killed many injured,” Major General Asif Ghafoor, the official spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces, said on Twitter.

A senior Indian Army officer said there was ceasefire violation in the Krishna Ghati sector, which is on the Indian side opposite Tatta Pani. “There have been firings from the Pakistani side since yesterday [Friday], which ceased around 1 p.m. today [Saturday],” he said.

The officer said there was no injury to Indian soldiers, but a woman was injured on Friday. The injured woman was identified as Shehnaz Akhter, a resident of Shahpur area in Poonch district.

Sources said the Pakistani troops had been resorting to firings along the LoC in Krishna Ghati and other parts of Poonch in the last 48 hours, with mortar shelling and automatic weapons.

Two soldiers killed

Meanwhile, two soldiers were killed and at least four others injured when militants attacked an Army convoy on the National Highway. The convoy was on its way to Srinagar from Udhampur, the headquarters of Northern Army Command.

The attack took place at Qazigund in Anantnag district, when the convoy was near the Lower Munda toll-post. A senior police officer said that the militants opened indiscriminate fire at Army vehicles.

Following the attack, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed and a search was launched.