India retaliates, up to 20 killed on Pak side

Jammu: Indian forces have destroyed at least four Pakistani posts and inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistani troops in the Keran Sector along the Line of Control, army said on Saturday, shortly after another ceasefire violation by Pakistan was reported in Jammu and Kashmir’s RS Pura sector. India retaliates, up to 20 killed on Pak side.

Top sources have told NDTV that the casualties on Pakistani side could be up to 20 in what the Indian Army said was a “massive fire assault”.

The Indian forces retaliated after Pak Rangers violated ceasefire repeatedly in Kathua and RS Pura sector along the International Border on Saturday. A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier was killed in Pakistan firing in Machil sector.

Pakistan forces have been targeting Indian posts in multiple ceasefire violations since India carried out surgical strikes and destroyed seven staging areas for terrorists in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in September, to avenge the Uri attack in which 19 soldiers were killed by Pakistani terrorists.

Four army and three BSF personnel have died in the latest escalation with Pakistan in the last one month. At least 4 civilians in border villages have also been killed and several injured in Pak firing.

15 Pakistani soldiers were killed on Friday as Indian troops retaliated to incessant firing by Pakistan along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, BSF said.

An Indian soldier was also killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The army had said that “the incident will be responded to appropriately”, adding the attackers had fled into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir “under the cover of heavy firing by Pakistan army”.
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Sepoy Mandeep Singh served in Sikh regiment which he had joined in 2008 and was currently posted with the 17 Rashtriya Rifles. His wife works with Haryana Police.

After the attack the Indian Army hit back in Keran, Kupawara, Tangdhar and Mendhar sectors.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that security forces were giving a befitting reply to the firing from Pakistan.

Sources said Shahbaz Sharif, brother of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Friday, had visited villages along the International Border that have been pounded by Indian forces, to take stock of the damage.

Amid the escalation in hostilities, the BSF has said that it will neither send nor receive sweets from Pak rangers at Wagah Border tomorrow on Diwali.
Areas near the border have been on high alert because of a spurt in firing from Pakistan