MUZAFFARABAD: Three Pakistan Army soldiers embraced martyrdom and one suffered injuries along the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) when Indian troops resorted to unprovoked shelling on Monday.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s public affairs wing, the casualties occurred in Rakhchikri sector of Poonch district in the evening.

“Three soldiers embraced shahadat and one [was] injured,” said the ISPR in a brief press release.

Military sources said that Pakistani troops gave a “befitting response” to India’s shelling.

The casualties come two days after India alleged that its four soldiers had been killed in Rajouri sector by Pakistani firing across the LoC.

The ISPR had not responded to the allegation.

The heavily militarised LoC, which splits the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir between Pakistan and India, has been witnessing skirmishes and artillery duels for quite some time, in a serious breach of a ceasefire agreement signed by the armies of the two countries in November 2003.

According to civilian and military sources, India has breached the truce for more than 1,300 times since January this year, leaving 52 people dead on this side and another 257 injured.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2017