Army jawan killed in Pakistani firing along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir

An Army jawan was  killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, the Army said.

Pakistan Army troops initiated unprovoked firing on Indian posts from across the border in the Sunderbani sector, prompting the Indian troops guarding the LoC to retaliate strongly and effectively, an Army spokesman said.

Lance Naik Yogesh Muralidhar Bhadane, 22, from Khalane village of Dhule district in Maharashtra, was critically injured in the firing and later succumbed to his injuries. Bhadane is survived by his wife.

The incident comes just days after a BSF head constable was killed after Pakistani forces "sniped" from across the International Border in Samba district.

In retaliation, the BSF destroyed two Pakistani mortar positions. It also foiled an infiltration bid by gunning down a Pakistani intruder along the IB near Nikowal Border Out Post (BoP) in Arnia sector.

An army personnel was also killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district on December 31 last year.

Sepoy Jagsir Singh, 32, was killed when he was shot by Paksitani troops from across the border along the LoC in Rajouri district on the last day of 2017, the year which recorded the highest number of ceasefire violations in the past decade resulting in the death of 35 people, including 19 Army personnel and four BSF men.

India shares a 3,323-km border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

On December 23, an Army major and three soldiers were killed along the LoC in Rajouri and in retaliatory action, Indian troops killed three Pakistani soldiers in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir two days later.