Jammu and Kasmir CM Omar Abdullah condemns soldiers killing

Jammu, Aug 6: "These incidents don't help efforts to normalise or even improve relations" with Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Tuesday over the killing of five Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops.

Five Indian Army soldiers were killed by Pakistani troops who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a police official said Tuesday.

A senior police officer said that Pakistani troops crossed the LoC in Chakan-da-Bagh sector of Poonch district late Monday night.

"They attacked our post in Karmad village on the LoC killing five of our soldiers. Later, the intruding soldiers withdrew back into the Pakistan side of the LOC," the official said.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to his micro-blogging twitter site to express condolences to the families of the slain soldiers.

Omar also said incidents like this give the lie to Pakistan's assertions of peace with India.

"Was briefed early this morning about news that 5 of our soldiers had been killed on the LOC. My heartfelt condolences to their next of kin," Omar said in his first comment on the incident.

His another tweet said: "These incidents don't help efforts to normalise or even improve relations with Pak & call into question the Pak Govt's recent overtures."

Pakistan has been violating the bilateral ceasefire between India and Pakistan that came into force in 2003.

In January this year, two Indian soldiers were killed in Mendhar sector of the LoC and the Indian authorities accused the Pakistan Army of its direct involvement in the incident.

IANS