The Indian Army has asked Pakistan to take back the bodies of two ‘hostile Pakistani nationals’ who had been killed in an encounter along the Line of Control in Sunderbani sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.
“Pakistan Army has been informed through established communication channels to take over the bodies of the hostile Pakistani nationals,” Colonel Aman Anand, Army spokesperson told the media on Monday. Army sources said a stern warning has been conveyed to the Pakistan Army to restrain terrorists operating from its soil.
Two heavily armed Pakistani intruders and three soldiers were killed on Sunday in a gunfight after the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the LoC. The slain intruders are believed to be members of a Border Action Team (BAT) comprising Pakistan Army jawans and trained militants, an army officer said on condition of anonymity.
“At about 1.45 pm, the Indian Army in Sunderbani sector had a fierce encounter with heavily armed Pakistani intruders very close to the LoC. The patrol (team) killed two intruders and recovered war-like stores including two AK-47 rifles,” the spokesman told PTI.
He said three soldiers were killed while fighting the intruders and another soldier suffered grievous injuries and has been airlifted to the Army Command hospital in Udhampur. The injured soldier’s condition is reported to be stable, the spokesman said. Sources said five to six Pakistani intruders crossed the LoC and fired on Indian Army patrol.
The dead soldiers have been identified as Havildar Kausal Kumar from Nowshera, Launce Naik Ranjeet Singh from Doda and rifleman Rajat Kumar Basan from Akhnoor, according to The Indian Express. Rifleman Rakesh Kumar of Samba has been hospitalised.
Sources also stated that since the talks between DGMOs (Director General of Military Operations) of the two countries on 29 May, the Indian Army has been maintaining “utmost restraint” to uphold the ceasefire pact along the LoC despite regular provocative actions from across the border.
However, Pakistan Army has been vigorously attempting to send terrorists across the LoC and seven infiltration bids have been foiled by the Indian Army since 30 May, in which 23 terrorists have been killed.
Reports suggest that there is a concentration of a large number of terrorists in launch pads across the border and they are desperate to infiltrate into India before the onset of winter.
