Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over soldiers’ killing along LoC, condemns unprovoked firing

Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday summoned India’s acting deputy High Commissioner after the Army killed three Pakistani soldiers in a cross-LoC strike on Monday evening. The operation was allegedly undertaken to avenge the killing of four Indian soldiers, including a Major, by the Pakistan Army on the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday.
Even though the Pakistan Foreign Office rejected reports that the Indian Army commandos crossed the LoC in Poonch sector of J&K and smashed a post, sources told The Indian Express that a Pakistani listening post of Baloch Regiment in the Rakh Chikri sub-sector of Rawalakot was targeted.
“The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counter-productive for peace and tranquility on the LoC. The Indian actions got a befitting response from the Pakistani side and their guns were silenced,” a media reported quoted Foreign Office as saying. Meanwhile, Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned India’s acting deputy High Commissioner and “condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations” by Indian forces in the Rakhchikri sector. The firing “provided a cover for the planting of IEDs by non-state actors”, resulting in the death of three soldiers, Faisal reportedly told the envoy. Faisal also urged the Indian side to “respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC.”
The cross-LoC strike was undertaken by a team of Ghatak (commando) platoon of an infantry battalion. Sources said the Ghatak team used explosives and mines, following which heavy exchange of fire took place between the two sides around 6 pm Monday. According to sources, one Pakistani soldier was killed immediately while two injured soldiers succumbed to injuries shortly afterwards.
On Monday night, Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) had posted an update on Twitter about the death of three soldiers that was later deleted. No further details were given by the Pakistani side before it acknowledged the death of its three soldiers in the cross-LoC action in the weekly telephone call between the two Military Operations Directorate Tuesday afternoon, sources added.