3 soldiers killed, 5 injured on LoC in Poonch, Kupwara sectors

Srinagar, Jammu: Three soldiers were killed and five others were injured Thursday in two separate incidents of cross LoC firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said Pakistan initiated unprovoked firing along the LoC in the Nowgam sector Thursday morning by firing mortars and other weapons. “Two soldiers were killed and four other injured in the clashes are being evacuated. Befitting reply being given,” he said.
A defence official said that Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (loC) in Machil and Keran sectors Thursday evening. “Befitting response was being given,” he said.
The loss of lives on the Indian side comes after the Army lost a soldier in the Mankote sector of Poonch last night in heavy firing from the Pakistan side. “At Mankote, one soldier was injured as well who is being treated at army hospital Jammu,” the officials said.
Locals in Kupwara’s border area said that huge sounds of explosions are being heard intermittently. “It started since morning and since then ground shaking explosions are taking place in Nowgam,” a group of villagers said, adding that they locked themselves inside their homes and took their livestock to safer locations. “It seems that both armies are using heavy artillery firing,” the locals said