A soldier was killed and another injured in Pakistan firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri on Friday night.

Indian defence officials said that the Pakistani Army resorted to unprovoked firing across the LoC in Sunderbani sector at 6.05 p.m last evening in which a soldier was killed and another injured. “One soldier identified as rifleman Jayadrath Singh was killed while another rifleman identified as Sachin Kumar was injured,” said an official, adding that the Indian troops gave an effective retaliation.

Official said that Pakistani Army initiated firing from Pimpal border outpost on their side of the LoC, while the soldiers who suffered casualties were deployed at Goga-2 border outpost on the Indian side in Bhattal area of Chhamb sector.

“The Pakistan army initiated small arms firing at the Indian Army posts in the Naushera sector at around 10.35 pm. There was a brief exchange of fire from both sides,”  said the official.

Soldier sustained minor injuries on his left arm when a bullet ricocheted and hit him, he said, adding that the injured jawan was administered medical attention and was out of danger.

Army officials said that rifleman Jayadrath Singh (28) was critically injured and died subsequently and belonged to Deoband village in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. He is survived by wife Mamta Devi. Eleven persons, including nine soldiers have been killed and 19 persons injured in a total of 18 ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 10 days.

On Friday Pakistani Army claimed that a young boy was killed, while three other members of his family were injured due to heavy Indian shelling in  Leepa Valley of Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK).

 “The shelling started by midday and it had been intense,” said Deputy Commissioner of Jhelum Valley Abdul Hameed Kiani. He said that a shell landed on a house in Ruddan Gheekot village, leaving 12-year-old Umair dead, while his siblings 10-year-old Aqsa, 7-year-old Uzair, and uncle Shah Nawaz, were injured.

The ISPR claimed that the Pakistan Army “effectively responded, destroying three Indian posts, killing three Indian soldiers, while injuring many others.”

As the border tension escalates chances for revival of trade and people to people contact besides talks with separatists and Pakistan have become dim. India wants first of all Pakistan to stop ceasefire violations and give up its plan on assisting militants to sneak into the Kashmir valley for hiking the level of violence and  then the “atmosphere to become conducive for talks and revival of cross-LOC trade and people to people contact.’’

Guest