PAKISTANI troops shot and killed an Indian army officer on Friday (June 7) near the countries’ disputed border in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, an Indian army officer said.
Friday’s firing incident came two days after Pakistan’s parliament elected Nawaz Sharif as prime minister and he promised to seek good relations with neighbouring India.
Sharif said after taking the reins that his government would “progressively pursue” good relations with India while actively seeking solutions to issues with India like disputed Kashmir.
“A junior commanding officer was shot dead by the Pakistani troops near Poonch sector,” a senior army official told reporter in New Delhi.
“Suddenly there was firing from the other side and our officer was killed,” the officer added, requesting anonymity.
The dead man, named as Bachan Singh was posted in Poonch region at Saujaya, 200km southwest of Indian-administered Kashmir’s summer capital of Srinagar.
Another senior army officer, Rajesh Kalia, stationed in Kashmir, said the latest attack had “not been declared as a ceasefire violation” along the heavily militarised frontier as a probe was still under way.
The Indian army retaliated in a “controlled manner and the area is calm now”, he added.
A Pakistani military spokesperson categorically denied the allegation.
“No Pakistani troops carried out any firing across the LoC on Indian positions,” he said in a statement.
