SIALKOT: In retaliation to unprovoked firing by Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday, Pakistani forces have killed six Indian soldiers, ARY News reported.
The exchange of firing also claimed lives of four Pakistani civilians and left 10 others injured.
Two of the martyred Attique, son of Manzoor, and Tassawar, son of Shabbir, were shot dead in Baroh Sector. While Iltaf son of Lal Muhammad was martyred in Jandrot Sector and Nazia Kausar wife of Muhammed Rasheed was martyred in Kerala Sector.
There are reports of heavy casualties of Indian soldiers due to effective retaliatory fire by Pakistani troops. Six Indian soldiers have been confirmed killed till now, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.
The BSF resorted to firing and shelling on villages near Kerala sector. Pakistan Army personnel befittingly responded to Indian firing and silenced their guns.
On late Sunday Indian forces had targeted Nakyal Sector. However, no casualties were reported from villages at that time.
Villages near Kotli district along LoC has been experiencing shelling for several days
As tension escalated in the region recently, cross-border exchange of fire was increasingly becoming frequent between the nuclear-armed rivals.
On October 25, Indian troops opened fire along the border in Bhimber and Chuprar sectors again, killing a civilian, identified as Waqar.
Pakistan later in the day lodged a protest with India and the United Nations Military Observers group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) over the killing of civilians and repeated cross-border firing by Indian forces.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh and questioned him over ceasefire violations by BSF.
As Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchange fire across their de-facto border in Kashmir, Pakistan has repeatedly told India to refrain from creating tensed circumstances for the soldiers along the border.
Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months, with India blaming militants from Pakistan for a raid on an army base in its part of disputed Kashmir in September that killed 19 soldiers.
