Defence analyst Major-General (Retd) Ijaz Awan said that his own sources confirmed the number of Indian soldiers killed in retaliatory Pakistani firing, reported Geo News
At least 14 Indian soldiers were killed while one was captured alive in retaliatory action by Pakistani forces along the Line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, a media report said today.
“My independent sources have told me that at least 14 Indian soldiers have been killed…8 casualties in one sector and 6 in the other. There are also reports that bodies of eight Indian soldiers are lying across the LoC in Tatta Pani sector,” said senior journalist and host of Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’ Hamid Mir.
Defence analyst Major-General (Retd) Ijaz Awan said that his own sources confirmed the number of Indian soldiers killed in retaliatory Pakistani firing, reported Geo News.
“Yes, this information is correct. Bodies are lying across Tatta Pani. I have spoken to eyewitnesses, who have confirmed that the bodies were not picked up as of this evening,” said Awan, according to the report.
Dawn News reported that an Indian soldier by the name Chandu Babulal Chohan was taken into custody by Pakistani forces.
However, there is as yet no official confirmation of this claim, said the report.
Pakistan army, in a statement, said that an exchange of fire between Pakistani and Indian LoC troops began at 2:30am and continued till 8:00am in the Bhimber, Hotspring, Kel and Lipa sectors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing on the LoC.”
Shortly after the exchange of fire, Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence held a joint press conference in New Delhi in which DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said that surgical strikes were conducted by the Indian army on “terror launch pads along the LoC”.
The strikes will not continue, he said.
However, Pakistan rubbished the claim, saying that India was lying to “fool its own people”.