Army jawan killed, 2 injured in militant attack in Jammu

Militants had planted an IED and triggered the blast to target troops, say officials

An army jawan was killed and two of his colleagues were injured when militants triggered an IED explosion targeting a patrol team along the LoC in Akhnoor area of Jammu district, a senior army officlal said today.

One jawan was killed and two others suffered injuries when a patrol party was targeted by terrorists with an Improvised Explosive Device along Jogwan forward belt in Akhnoor border area of Jammu district yesterday, the army official said.

The deceased has been identified as Sepoy Bhikale. The injured jawans - Head Constable Vinod Kumar and Lance Naik Amol Kumar - have been admitted to the military hospital, Northern Command for treatment.

The militants had planted an IED near a track and triggered the blast to target the troops, the official said, adding that the matter is being investigated.

Pakistani troops later resorted to brief firing on the forward border belt in Nathu Tibba area, triggering panic among the villagers. The firing came to end last night, police officials said.

An attempt by three Pakistani militants to sneak into Indian territory was yesterday foiled by the army, which also defused an IEDs planted by the infiltrators near a forward post in Bhimbher Gali belt of Rajouri district.

Troops guarding the borderline fired on the infiltrating terrorists and they fled to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), a defence spokesman said.

This was the third infiltration bid by Pakistan militants along LoC. On May 10, two militants were killed when Army troops foiled an infiltration bid along Line of Control (LoC) in Kalsia belt of Poonch district.

One jawan had suffered injuries in the firing.

On May 3, troops foiled an infiltration bid along LoC in Sawjian belt of Poonch district.

Army officials said the ceasefire violations and firing by Pakistani troops were aimed at helping militants infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir from the "launching pads" along LoC, where they are waiting to crossover.

There are also inputs that bids to engineer attacks by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) on Indian forward posts and patrolling parties are being planned from across the border, they said.