Pakistan admits 7 deaths; Indo-Pak DGMOs talk
STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Army on Wednesday launched a counter offensive against Pakistan along the LoC after three Indian soldiers were killed, with body of one of them mutilated in a cross-LoC attack, even as Pakistani troops continued to shell Indian positions, injuring six jawans.
The offensive came hours after the Indian Army vowed “heavy retribution” to the attack on its soldier.
In Islamabad, Pakistan Army said that seven persons, including three of its soldiers, were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian troops on the LoC, taking the death toll in such incidents to 14 since last week.
Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of Northern Command, Brig P S Gotra said India Army launched a counter offensive along the LoC in retaliation to yesterday’s offensive in Machhil sector of Kashmir.
Indian Army posts are responding strongly and giving a befitting reply, Defence PRO Manish Mehta said.
Pakistan Army also fired at Indian posts along the LoC in Bhimber Gali, Krishna Ghati and Nowshera sectors.
A senior BSF officer said, “Two BSF jawans suffered minor injuries in ceasefire violation by Pakistan troops along LoC in Bhimbher Gali area of Rajouri district at 0945 hours”.
In the cross-LoC attack by suspected Pakistani terrorists yesterday, three Indian soldiers were killed, with body of one of them being mutilated.
The ambush on the army patrol took place in Machhil sector of Kashmir.
The Northern Command spokesman had yesterday tweeted, “3 soldiers killed in action on LC (Line of Control) in Machhal.
Body of one soldier mutilated.” He said the “retribution will be heavy for this cowardly act.”
This is the second such incident of mutilation of the body of an Indian soldier in the same sector since October 28.
On that day, terrorists, aided by the cover fire by Pakistani Army, had crossed the Line of Control and killed an Indian army jawan and mutilated his body in Macchil sector. One attacker was killed in that incident.
The 2003 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement has virtually become redundant with a whopping nearly 300 incidents of firing and shelling along LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani troops that resulted in death of 26 people, including 14 security personnel, since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in PoK.
India and Pakistan entered into no-firing agreement along Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir in 2003.
A total of 26 people, including 14 security personnel and 12 civilians, have been killed and more than 83 suffered injuries in Pakistani shelling and firing along IB and LoC in Jammu after the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army on September 29 this year.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Indian army’s “punitive fire assaults”, DGMOs of India and Pakistan spoke at the latter’s request for an “unscheduled hotline interaction” during which the “unethical” act of mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers by “terrorists” was raised.
“He (Pakistani Director General of Military Operations) was categorically informed that if any ceasefire violations were initiated by Pak troops or any infiltration attempt was made by terrorists from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir or territory under its control, it would invite an appropriate response by Indian army,” a statement issued by the Indian DGMO’s office said.
Indian DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh raised the issue of infiltration attempts by terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir and “unethical act of mutilation of the body of Indian soldiers close to the Line of Control by terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan”.
Pakistan’s DGMO was exhorted to exercise strict control on their troops to refrain from any “nefarious activities”, it said.
“This would lead to return of normalcy along the Line of Control,” the statement headlined “Aftermath of Indian Army’s punitive fire assault: Pak DGMO requests for unscheduled talks on hotline”, added.
Pakistan’s DGMO informed about civilian casualties on his side caused by Indian firing at the Line of Control.
Lt Gen Singh expressed grief at civilian casualties but “emphatically stated that retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out targeting locations from where Pakistan has initiated ceasefire violations on Indian Posts”.
Lt Gen Singh expressed his concern to Pakistani DGMO about casualties caused to Indian civilians and soldiers due to “unprovoked” Pakistani firing.
Pakistan Army had earlier in the day said seven persons, including three of its soldiers, were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian troops at the LoC, taking the death toll in such incidents on their side to 14 since last week.
Reacting sharply to firing by Pakistani troops, India summoned its Deputy High Commissioner here and lodged strong protest over ceasefire violations causing deaths of Indian soldiers and barbaric mutilation of their bodies.
Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah was summoned by Joint Secretary (in-charge of Pakistan) in the Ministry of External Affairs Gopal Baglay, who conveyed India’s strong reaction to continued ceasefire violations and mutilation of bodies of its soldiers.
On his part, Shah too protested “the recent spate of unprovoked Indian firing and shelling” which, he claimed, had so far resulted in the loss of more than 50 civilians lives including women, infants and the elderly, besides several Pakistani soldiers.
200 terrorists active in J&K: Govt
New Delhi: There are about 200 terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir with 105 of them successfully entered during this year, till September, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said 105 terrorists have infiltrated into the Indian side of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir during the year 2016 (upto September 2016).
“As per available inputs, nearly 200 terrorists are active in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Ahir said the government in tandem with the state government have adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain cross-border infiltration which, interalia, include strengthening of border management and multi-tiered deployment along the international border/Line of Control, and near the ever changing infiltration routers, construction/maintenance of border fencing.
The Minister said the steps include construction of bunkers and culverts/bridges on nullahs, improved technology, weapons and equipment for security forces, improved intelligence and operations coordination, installation of border floodlight on the International Border and synerzising intelligence flow to check infiltration and proactive action against terrorists within the state.
Replying to a separate question, Kiren Rijiju, also Minister of State for Home Affairs, said the government has decided to install a modern anti-infiltration mechanisms on borders for which Rs 10 crore has been allocated for one of the projects.
He said sufficient funds are available for other pilot projects for implementation of CIBMS. “In this regard, pilot projects of technological solutions in the form of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) have approved for Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders,” Rijiju said.
He said it is basically an integration of manpower, sensor networks, intelligence and command and control solutions and includes inter alia electro-optic sensors (high resolution day and night cameras), radars and other devices.
