Attempts being made to bring Indian soldier back from Pakistan: Singh

NEW DELHI: India’s Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that all attempts were being made to free the Indian soldier who is in Pakistan’s captivity.

The Indian government has taken notice of the media reports that an Indian soldier is in Pakistan’s captivity, as per Indian media reports.

“All attempts are being made to secure his release,” Singh told reporters in the Indian capital while assuring that Delhi would take up the matter with Pakistan soon.

Chandu Babulal Chauhan, a soldier serving with the 37 Rashtriya Rifles, was captured after he “inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control”, said an Indian Army sources.

India claimed it conducted ‘surgical strikes’ several kilometres inside the Pakistani side of Kashmir during the wee hours of Thursday in a bid to prevent alleged terror attacks being planned in major Indian cities.

However, Pakistan said two of its soldiers had been killed and nine more wounded in what it described as small arms fire, dismissing the talk of surgical strikes as an absolute ‘illusion’ strategy to whip up ‘media hype’.

According to the public relations wing of the Pakistan Army, “There has been no surgical strike by India, instead, there had been cross LOC fire initiated and conducted by India which is an existential phenomenon. As per rules of engagement, same was strongly and befittingly responded by Pakistani troops.”

Two officials based in Pakistan’s Chhamb’s sector said the Indian soldier with weapons was captured at 1330 local time on Thursday.

Credible sources said around six to eight Indian soldiers were killed after Pakistan army retaliated against Indian ceasefire breach. Exclusive television footage also showed bodies of Indian soldiers lying on the ground near LoC who attempted to violate Kashmir ceasefire and entered into Pakistani territory.

Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Maleeha Lodhi stressed that India was trying to ‘provoke a crisis with Pakistan’ in an attempt to divert attention from the Kashmir issue.

Speaking to an Arab television channel, the ambassador said, “India is doing this in the hope that it can divert attention and calm its domestic opinion because even India’s domestic opinion is questioning its role in Kashmir.”