Pak violates truce, targets armymen during rescue operation

Jammu, July 8: Violating the ceasefire, Pakistani troops today fired at Indian soldiers while they were trying to rescue two porters who were wounded in twin blasts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

The blasts occurred when some porters were carrying supplies from one army post to another in Sabzian-Mandi belt along the LoC at around 8 am, an army officer said.

When soldiers rushed to the scene to rescue the injured porters, Pakistani troops fired on them, he said. "Our troops managed to shift one of the two porters to a nearby hospital while the other one is still lying there," the officer said.

Indian troops also fired back, he said adding the intermittent firing from across the border was still on. This was the second attack on porters in Poonch sector within a span of two months.

In May, porters were intercepted and assaulted by some Border Action Team (BAT) personnel from across the border who also snatched supplies from them.

Last week, the army had foiled an infiltration attempt by a group of militants who were provided cover firing by Pak troops in Poonch district.

Earlier this month, a Pakistani intruder, trying to cross over into the Indian side, was killed when the IED he was carrying went off.

PTI