JCO killed in ‘stand-off firing’ by Pak on LoC

New Delhi: A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was killed in ‘stand-off firing’ from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan on Tuesday, sources in the defence ministry said.

The incident took place in Kalal area in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir, a day after India acceded to Pakistan’s demand that no ceasefire violations should be done as a group of diplomats and journalists were to be taken on a tour along the LoC.

“The officer was killed in a kind of tactical action by Pakistani forces from across the LoC,” said a source.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had also violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Balakote in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said a 60-year-old woman, Phool Jehan, from Gohald tehsil was injured in the shelling. She was later shifted to the district hospital in Rajouri for treatment.

On the intervening night of October 19 and 20, Pakistan had violated ceasefire in the Tangdhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir resulting in the death of two soldiers and a civilian.

As per Army sources, children have been restrained from attending schools along the LoC with incessant ceasefire violations by Pakistan. The number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan has been one of the highest in the past several years. Till October 10, ceasefire violations had crossed the 2,300 mark as compared to 1,629 in the entire calendar year of 2018.

 Published on: Oct 22, 2019 at 22:10 IST

IANS