Soldier killed in Pak firing along LoC in J-K's Rajouri

An Army soldier was killed on Saturday as Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to mortar shelling and small arms firing on forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said.

The latest ceasefire violation comes two days after Pakistan claimed that its four soldiers were killed in firing by Indian troops on their posts along the LoC.

Lance Naik Sandeep Thapa (35), a resident of Dehradun, sustained fatal injuries in the Pakistani firing in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district, the spokesman said.

He said the unprovoked firing from across the border started at around 6.30 am, prompting strong and effective retaliation by Indian Army guarding the border.

The exchange of fire between the two sides was on when the last reports were received, he said, adding the casualties suffered by Pakistan in the retaliatory action was not known immediately.

Last month, two Army personnel and a 10-day-old baby were killed and several civilians injured in heavy Pakistani shelling and firing in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region.