As the Indian Army retaliated fiercely by fire assaults on Pakistan Army posts across the loC for brutalising three of its solider by Pak-sponsored terrorists, Director General Military Operations(DGMO) of Pakistan Army called up his Indian counterpart lt General Ranbir Singh on the hotline on Wednesday at 6.30 pm informing about civilian casualties on his side by Indian firing.
The Indian DGMO expressed grief at Pakistani civilian casualties but emphatically stated that retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out targeting locations from where Pakistan has initiated cease fire violations on Indian Posts.
Singh also expressed his concerns to his Pakistani counterpart on casualties caused to Indian civilians and soldiers due to unprovoked Pakistani firing.
Singh further raised the issue of infiltration attempts by terrorists from Pakistan side into J&K and the un-ethical act of mutilation of the body of Indian soldiers close to the lOC by terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan. Singh asked the Pakistan DGMO to refrain his troops from indulging in any nefarious activities, saying that following this would lead to return of normalcy along lOC. However, Singh made it clear that if any cease fire violations were initiated by Pakistan or any infiltration attempts made by terrorists from POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir), it would invite an appropriate response by Indian Army.
The Pakistani Army statement earlier in the day in Islamabad said seven persons, including three of its soldiers, were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian troops on the loC, taking the death toll in such incidents to 14 since last week. “Three Pakistani soldiers valiantly sacrificed their lives at the line of Control while responding to Indian unprovoked firing,” the Pakistan Army said. Those killed were identified as Captain Taimoor Ali Khan, Havaldar Mushtaq Hussain and lance Naik Ghulam Hussain.
The statement also claimed that seven Indian troops were killed in retaliatory fire.
In an earlier statement, the Army said four civilians were killed as Indian troops targeted a passenger bus near Dhudnial in Neelam valley. However, media reports said that up to 10 civilians were killed
today due to firing by Indian troops. The Indian Army, however, maintained that it fired back after Pakistan carried out ceasefire violation and did not about any casualties as they reportedly took place across the lOC in POK.