Indian Firing Kills Pakistani Soldier: Spokesman

Islamabad, July 28, IRNA – Pakistan army says that Indian firing killed a soldier in the disputed Kashmir region on Saturday. The army spokesman Maj General Salim Bajwa said that the Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing on the Line of Control, the de facto border which divides Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region. He said that a soldier Asim Iqbal was killed while another Naik Muhammad Khan was seriously injured. The spokesman said that Naik Muhammad khan is being evacuated. Bajwa blamed the Indian troops for violation of the LoC, adding that the firing has now been stopped. Indian media has meanwhile reported that Pakistani troops on Saturday opened heavy weapons and RPG firing on an Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir’s Poonch sector. Quoting unnamed Army officials, the reports said that the firing on Shahpur area of Poonch sector began at 7.30 am, leading to heavy firing exchanges. No one was hurt on the Indian side. Pakistan had declared a unilateral ceasefire along the LoC in 2003 which was positively responded by India. Guns had been relatively silenced since then however border troops some time trade fire. Both sides routinely accuse each other of violations./end