J&K: Two Army officers martyred as Pakistan violates ceasefire in Kupwara

Srinagar, Dec 21: Two Army officers were killed as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Friday.

There was an unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops in the Keran sector at 11.55 AM.

One Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed in the firing while another succumbed to injuries later at a medical facility, an Army official said.

"Two army officers were earlier injured in sniper fire from the Pakistan side in Jumgund area of the LoC,'' the official said.

"The injured officers were immediately shifted to a hospital where a JCO, Subedar Gamar Thapa, later succumbed to his injuries,'' he said.

"Another injured officer was shifted to Army's base hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment," he added.

The Army responded to the ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops effectively, he assured.

The latest incident of ceasefire violation took place a day after Lt General Ranbir Singh, the Northern Army Commander, advised troops deployed on forwards positions on the Line of Control to ensure the safety of people living along the border during ceasefire violation by Pakistan and also effectively prevent infiltration by terrorists.

Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said in winter capital Jammu that Lt General Ranbir Singh was accompanied by White Knights Corps Commander, Lt General Paramjit Singh.

"They visited forward posts of Poonch and Akhnoor sectors to review the operational preparedness and the prevailing security situation,'' he said.

The Pakistan Army has been violating ceasefire by targeting military and civilian facilities.

Pakistan troops have violated ceasefire on the LoC and the International Border in J&K, 1,432 times in 2018 - the highest in the last eight years, sources said.