3 soldiers killed in Kashmir, one body mutilated, says Army

Three soldiers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir, and one of them was beheaded, in the second incident of mutilation of a soldier's body in a month, the army said on Tuesday, vowing "heavy retribution for the cowardly act".

The incident took place in Machhil sector of the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the state between India and Pakistan, in Kupwara district.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was briefed about the situation by Army Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat, officials said.

"The cowardly act of mutilating the body of one of the Indian soldiers had all the signatures of a BAT (Border Action Team) operation by Pakistan army using terrorists and its soldiers," said officials

"3 soldiers killed in action on LC in Machhil. Body of one soldier mutilated, retribution will be heavy for this cowardly act," the army's Northern Command said in a tweet.

On October 28, the body of an Indian soldier was mutilated by terrorists, who fled back to the Pakistan-occupied part of Kashmir under supportive fire cover by Pakistani troops.

In response, the Indian Army carried out a heavy assault in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir, destroying four Pakistani posts.

According to figures given by Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre in the Lok Sabha last week, till November 14 this year, eight Army personnel have been killed and 59 injured.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Bhamre also said that there has been an increase in infiltration attempts since the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8.

This is not the first time that Pakistani intruders have mutilated bodies of Indian soldiers.

During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, and Sepoys Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured.

The soldiers had ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were cut off.

On January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers -- Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said bodies of both were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated.

--IANS

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