Soldier Hurt in Sniper Attack from Across LoC in Akhnoor

Intelligence agencies have alerted security forces about presence of nearly 100 terrorists in launch pads across the LoC

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

JAMMU: With no let-up in Pakistan's hostile activities on the borders, a soldier of the Indian Army was injured in a sniper attack along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keri Battal area of Akhnoor sector in Jammu district on Friday evening.

On Tuesday, Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi of Ranchi and Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas of Uttervehini in Jammu's Samba were killed and another soldier injured after an improvised explosive device (IED), suspected to have been planted by Pakistani terrorists, went off along the Line of Control (LoC) in the same Battal area of Akhnoor sector. "Today at around 18.30 hrs (6.30 pm), Pakistani troops of the 10 PoK carried out a sniper attack on an Indian post hitting a soldier on his shoulder. The soldier has been shifted to a garrison hospital in Akhnoor," said people familiar with the development. The army hasn't yet issued any statement.

"The sniper fire came from woods in Pakistani territory on the other side of the LoC," they added. On Wednesday, Pakistani army had opened around 15 rounds of fire on Indian positions in Poonch sector, after which India inflicted heavy losses to Pakistan in retaliatory fire. Amid an uneasy calm along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, the army on Thursday had recovered some explosives and allied material in Tarkundi area.