3 soldiers killed in Kashmir, one body mutilated, says Army (Third Lead)

Three soldiers were killed, and one of them was beheaded, in Jammu and Kashmir on the Line of Control -- in action that the army said bore the "signature" of the Pakistan Army's Border Action Team. Pakistan has denied the allegations.

The beheading is the second incident of mutilation of a soldier's body in less than a month. The army has vowed "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 on Tuesday.

"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.

Spokesperson of Pakistan's Foreign Ministry M. Nafees Zakaria denied mutilation of any Indian soldier by Pakistani forces.

"Pakistan strongly rejects the false and baseless Indian media reports regarding the alleged mutilation of an Indian solider on the LoC," Zakaria said in a tweet.

"These reports are a fabrication and a blatant attempt to malign Pakistan.

"As a professional force,Pakistan army isn't involved in any such unethical and non-professional activity and neither supports any such action," he said.

The opposition Congress questioned what the Indian government was going to do about the incident.

"If our soldiers are being brutalised in this manner the responsibility is of the government squarely. the question that needs to be asked is what is the government going to do about it," Congress leader Manish Tewari said.

On October 28, the body of 27-year-old Indian soldier Sepoy Mandeep Singh was mutilated by terrorists, who fled back to 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 was not the first time that Pakistan has 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.

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.

Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention protects captured military personnel, some guerrilla fighters, and certain civilians. It applies from the moment a prisoner is captured until he or she is released or repatriated. One of the main provisions of the convention makes it illegal to torture prisoners and states that a prisoner can only be required to give their name, date of birth, rank and service number if applicable.

--IANS

ao/rn