ISLAMABAD, Feb 15: The killing of a Pakistani soldier who had strayed across the Line of Control (LoC) by Indian troops is threatening to undermine the bilateral peace talks which have already come under strains because of last month’s cross-LoC incidents.

“The killing of a Pakistani soldier by the Indian army yesterday in Khoi Ratta sector along the LoC … has the potential to further vitiate the atmosphere,” an FO statement said as India returned the body of soldier Sepoy Akhlaq.

The body was returned after Director General of Military Operations Maj Gen Ashfaq Nadeem made an unscheduled call to his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia to protest the killing of the soldier, who had inadvertently crossed the LoC, and demand the return of his body.

Sepoy Akhlaq had on Thursday afternoon (around 3pm), according to Pakistani military sources, “lost his way between two posts and inadvertently crossed over to LoC in Khoi Ratta sector”.

The military claimed that some locals had seen Sepoy Akhlaq being interrogated by the Indian troops on the other side of the LoC.

“A few civilians present close to the incident, who saw him being questioned by the Indians, informed Pakistan military,” the military spokesman said.

Pakistani field commanders reportedly contacted their Indian counterparts asking for the return of their soldier, but when the DGMOs spoke over hotline on Friday, the Indian general said that he had been killed.

This was not the first time that a soldier crossed LoC by mistake. Army claims it returned a number of Indian soldiers in the past who had strayed across the LoC.

Sepoy Akhlaq will be buried on Saturday in his hometown Kallar Syedan with full military honours.

Both the Foreign Office and Inter-Services Public Relations strongly denounced the killing of the 22-year-old sepoy, who had served the army for four years.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the killing of a Pakistani soldier by the Indian army. The killing of our soldier, who had lost his way and inadvertently crossed the LoC, goes against the understanding reached between Pakistan and India on speedy return ofinadvertent line crossers,” the FO spokesman said.

“We condemn such an inhuman and brutal act of killing of our soldier after he had identified himself and explained his position,” the ISPR said.

The FO urged the Indian government to investigate the incident and prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Reuters adds: An Indian defence spokesman said there had been a firefight in the Rajouri district after two militants in combat dress crossed the LoC from Pakistan.

He said one militant had been killed and an Indian soldier injured.

“Our troops continuously tracked their movement and they were asked to surrender when they entered over 200 metres inside Indian territory,” spokesman S.N. Acharya said.

“They opened fire indiscriminately, to which our men retaliated, and in the exchange of fire one militant was killed.”