Jawan killed in firing along LoC

Tension has escalated on the Line of Control (LoC) after the Pakistani Army resorted to indiscriminate firing and shelling on the Indian forward positions, leaving an Indian jawan dead in the Naushera sector of Rajouri district.

Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta, defence spokesman in Jammu, said the Pakistani Army resorted to unprovoked firing on Indian Army posts in Naushera sector at around 5.15 am. The Indian Army retaliated to silence the Pakistani guns.

"Naik Bakhtawar Singh was grievously injured in the cross-fire and succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated to the Military Hospital," said Lieutenant Colonel Mehta.

Hailing from Hajipur village of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, 34-year-old Naik Bakhtawar Singh is survived by wife Jasbir Kaur and three children.

"Naik Bakhtawar Singh was a brave and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," said Lieutenant Mehta.

This is the first fatality of the army in the fresh spate of ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the LoC. There have been seven ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the last three days on the LoC and International Border. Three of the violations were reported from Naushera sector alone.