One jawan of the Indian Army was martyred and a nine-year-old girl was killed on Monday as Pakistan troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Rajouri sectors. The girl, identified as Saida of Balakote in Poonch district, died when she was hit by a Pakistani shell.
The soldier, identified as 37-year-old Naik Muddasar Ahmed, was martyred in Rajouri district's Tarkundi area. An official statement said that Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked firing on Indian Army posts in Rajouri sector at around 0730h today. Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively.
“In the fire exchange, Naik Muddasar Ahmed was grievously injured when mortar shells landed on his bunker. He was evacuated to the MI room where he succumbed to his injuries.” it read. Naik Muddasar Ahmed belonged to Tral’s Duchoo village in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir and is survived by his wife Shaheena Muddasar and two children.
It described Naik Muddasar Ahmed as a brave and sincere soldier.
"He loved his job to the core. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the army said in its statement.
After resorting to unprovoked shelling and firing in Bhimber Gali sector of the Line of Control earlier on Monday, the Pakistani troops began heavy shelling and firing in Mendhar and Balakote sectors.
The Pakistani side started firing indiscriminately at around 7.30am, targeting the Bhimber Gali sector, defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said. The Indian side was retaliating strongly to the ceasefire violation.
The ceasefire violation by Pakistan comes at a time when the Directors General of Military Operation of the two countries held talks over the repeated exchange of fire along the LoC.
The Indian side pointed out that all the ceasefire violations were being initiated by the Pakistan Army.
The Indian DGMO highlighted that "all ceasefire violations were initiated by the Pakistan Army and the Indian Army only responded appropriately," an army statement said.
The Indian officer also put across emphatically that the "trend of infiltration along the LoC continued with the active support of Pakistan forward posts."
