Pak crossborder raid kills 2 jawans

A similar attack had taken place on the LoC two years ago with bodies of Indian soldiers found mutilated.

Sources said the incident took place around 10 am when a party of four Indian soldiers, belonging to the 13 Raj Rif regiment, were carrying out a patrol along the LoC near the Nangi Tekri area. The soldiers were ambushed by a Pakistani army party comprising eight to 10 men, reportedly belonging to the 653 Mujahid Regiment, dressed in black.

"Pakistan army troops, having taken advantage of thick fog and mist in the forested area, were moving towards posts when an alert area domination patrol spotted and engaged the intruders," the Army spokesperson said. The exchange of fire lasted approximately half an hour before the Pakistani soldiers retreated, he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs Tuesday denied that Indian troops had violated the ceasefire agreement or crossed the LoC, as alleged by Pakistan. Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that in the early hours of January 6, Pakistan troops in the sector commenced unprovoked firing on Indian troops. "India is strongly committed to the sanctity of the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir, which is the most important Confidence Building Measure between the two countries. The ceasefire along the LoC, which has largely held since 2003, is an important element of this CBM. The Director Generals for Military Operations of both sides have spoken to each other on the incident," he said.

The MEA's response came a day after India's Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad was called to the Pakistan Foreign Office to lodge a protest over what it termed an "unprovoked Indian attack" on one of its military posts along the LoC. Claiming that Indian troops had crossed the LoC and "raided" a border post, Pakistan had said that its troops "effectively responded and repulsed the attack successfully".

... contd.

ALSO READ

BJP shunned vote-bank politics: Modi

Double murder: Victims' daughter sexually abused, say Goa cops

Mount Everest conquered by West Bengal's Chanda Gayen

Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew-linked case: Bail plea of bribery accused axed