BSF Jawan killed in firing by Pakistan forces: officials

A BSF patrolling party was early Tuesday fired upon by forces from across the Pakistan border in which one jawan was killed, the frontier guarding force said.

The head constable rank jawan was suspected to have been hit by a fatal sniper shot from across the border when troops were clearing the tall 'sarkanda' grass in front of their border post in the RS Pora area in the Ramgarh sector, at about 1040 am, officials said.

The body of the head constable rank jawan was recovered by a Border Security Force (BSF) search party "late evening" after over six hours as troops waited for sunset, and to "sanitise the body for possible booby traps" that may have been planted by the enemy, they said.

"A BSF party which was on domination patrolling ahead of the fence was fired upon. BSF troops immediately took position and retaliated but the enemy bullets hit a jawan. The area on Pak side has a protective bundh close to IB," the force said in a statement.

It added that the Indian side area is undulated, marshy and has thick 'sarkanda' growth that made immediate location of the felled jawan difficult.

"The body of the jawan was found by a search party. It is suspected that he was shot with a precise aim by the Pakistani side when they were clearing the area near the fence," a senior official said.

Earlier, officials said, the A jawan was reported missing from along the International Border in Jammu region and was believed to have been hit by unprovoked cross-border fire.