Terror launch pads in Pak destroyed; 5 Indian jawans martyred, 4 civilians killed in Pak shelling
Paying back Pakistan in the same coin, the Indian Army on Friday reportedly killed at least 7-8 Pakistani soldiers in strong retaliatory firing after four Indian soldiers, one BSF jawan and four civilians were killed and seven others received grievous injuries in heavy shelling by Pakistan across different sectors.
The report said that several Pakistan Army structures, including its ammunition and fuel dumps, were destroyed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri and Keran sectors of North Kashmir’s Kupwara and Baramulla districts.
Radio intercepts tracked by the Indian Army across the LoC confirmed reports of heavy damages suffered by the Pakistan Army. Official sources revealed, two to three Special Service Group commandos of the Pakistan Army were also killed in India’s counter attack.
On the Indian side, five Indian soldiers, including a BSF officer, attained martyrdom while four civilians were killed and seven others received injuries.
To prevent the Pakistan Army from aiding a heavily armed group of infiltrators sneak into the Indian territory, some of the launching pads in the area were destroyed.
Compared to previous year high of 3,233 ceasefire violations, the Pakistan Army has so far committed 4,052 ceasefire violations this year. Out of these 128 violations were reported in November and 394 in October 2020.
Col Rajesh Kalia, a Srinagar-based Defence Spokesman in a written statement said, “Pakistan used mortars and other weapons and deliberately targeted civilian areas across multiple sectors of Uri and Keran in North Kashmir. The Indian Army retaliated strongly, causing casualties and substantial damage to Pakistan Army’s infrastructure across the LoC. Several ammunition dumps, FOL dumps and multiple launch pads have been damaged.”
According to reports, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC spread across multiple sectors to include Dawar, Keran, Uri and Naugam. “Four Indian Army soldiers were killed in action and three soldiers injured,” Col Kalia said, adding the nation salutes their supreme sacrifice. A BSF sub-inspector, hailing from Uttarakhand, was killed in action in Haji Peer sector.
In a separate statement, BSF spokesman said, “SI Rakesh Doval, 39, deployed at the force’s artillery battery at the LoC in Baramulla was killed in action after he sustained head injury in the firing around 1315 hours”.
Constable Vasu Raja sustained splinter injuries on his arms and cheeks. He was deployed at the same forward defended location, official sources said, adding the constable is stable.
“The Sub Inspector has made supreme sacrifice in line of duty while facing heavy ceasefire violation from the enemy. The sub-officer was a resident of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and joined the border force in 2004,” a senior officer of the force said.
The BSF works under the operational command of the Army at the LoC.
Following heavy mortar shelling, several houses suffered extensive damages on the Indian side. Two civilians were killed in Kamalkote sector, also in Uri, while a woman was killed in Balkote area in Haji Peer sector, official sources said.
Hospital authorities identified the slain civilians as Farooqa Begum, wife of Bashir Ahmad, Nadir Hussain, son of Peer Hussain and Tahir Jalaludin, son of Jalaludin all from Balkote Uri.
In Jammu region, ceasefire violation was also reported from Sawjiyan area of Poonch in which seven civilians including porters received injuries.
“Around 1.45 pm, the Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in sector in Sawjian in Poonch,” Defence Spokesman Lt-Col Devender Anand said, adding Indian troops retaliated in a befitting manner.
Before the tension mounted in the region, Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia had claimed that Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid, which was aided by the ceasefire violation, along the LoC in the Keran sector on Friday.
“Suspicious movement was observed by our troops at the forward posts along the LoC in Keran sector (in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district) today. The suspected infiltration bid was foiled by alert troops,” he said.
This was the second infiltration attempt within a week. The earlier unsuccessful bid in Machil sector during the intervening night of November 7- 8 was foiled in which three terrorists were killed. Four Army soldiers, including a Captain, and a BSF jawan also lost their lives during the operation.
Saturday, 14 November 2020 | Mohit Kandhari | Jammu
