Pakistan military claimed that it has killed eight Indian soldiers and captured one while retaliating to India’s firing at the first line of defence at the Line of Control (LoC) at Tatta Pani, a media report said today.
Citing security sources, Dawn newspaper said that the capture and killings occurred when the Indian army opened fire across the border, killing two Pakistani soldiers.
“The dead bodies of the Indian soldiers are still to be recovered by the Indian forces as they lay unattended at the LoC. Security sources say the Indian army has yet to recover the bodies for fear of coming under fire from Pakistan,” the paper claimed.
The paper identified the captured soldier as 22-year-old Chandu Babulal Chohan son of Bashan Chohan from Maharashtra. It said he has been shifted to an undisclosed location. However, there was no official word on the report.
A statement attributed to the Indian defence ministry was widely circulated on social media. Denying the reports of the capture or the killings of Indian soldiers, the statement said, “One soldier from 37 RR with weapon has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control.
“Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO on the hotline. Such inadvertent crossing by army and civilians are not unusual on either side. They are returned through existing mechanisms.”
Indian Army also rejected as “false and baseless” reports in a section of Pakistani media that eight Indian soldiers were killed and one captured by Pakistani military in retaliatory fire. Indian Army sources said,
“As regard (to the) report of killing of eight Indian Army personnel reported in sections of Pakistan media, the report is completely false and baseless.”
A Pakistan army statement had said “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” and added that “Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing on the LoC.”
(With PTI inputs)
