Army soldier killed in Pakistan sniper fire in J&K's Rajouri

Jammu: An Army soldier was killed Saturday in sniper fire by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said.

This was the second sniper attack along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in as many days. An Army porter lost his life in a similar incident in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu Friday.

"At about 0945 hours, unprovoked ceasefire violation was initiated by Pakistan in which one Army soldier was shot by a sniper. He succumbed to injuries," the spokesman said.

Official sources said Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated to Pakistani firing effectively.

On November 6, a soldier was injured when he was hit by a sniper from across the border at Kalal in the Noushera sector of Rajouri, while a BSF jawan was injured in a separate incident of firing by Pakistan along the LoC in theManjakote area of the Rajouri-Poonch sector Friday.

The number of ceasefire violations this year by Pakistan has been the highest in the past eight years.

The first seven months of this year saw 52 deaths and 232 people getting injured in 1,435 ceasefire violations in the state, according to an RTI reply by the Home Ministry.