The Indian Army on Saturday said it had destroyed four Pakistani posts across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Keran sector through a “massive fire assault”. Army officials, who were not identified, said Pakistan had suffered “heavy casualties”, though it not divulge further details. According to NDTV, at least 20 Pakistani soldiers were killed after India’s operations began. The operation is believed to be retaliation to what India claims were ceasefire violations by Pakistan in several sectors of the state on Friday.
At least one Border Security Force jawan was killed and another injured during the shelling on Friday. Two civilians were also reported dead, while the BSF said 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed, after the exchange of fire in the Pallanwala, Sunderwani, Nowshera and RS Pura sectors. However, the Pakistani Army had refuted the claim that its soldiers were killed.
The Indian Army also said that militants had killed a soldier and mutilated his body during an encounter in Machhal sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday. They claimed that one of the militants was killed near the LoC during the exchange of fire on Friday evening, and had added that the Army was gearing up to give “an appropriate response”.
India has said that there has been an increase in cross-border firing after it carried out surgical strikes on "terror launchpads" along the LoC with Pakistan on September 29. Officials reported breaches on October 3, 4 and 5 along the border in the region. On September 18, militants had attacked an Indian Army installation in Uri, killing 19 soldiers. India had accused Pakistan of being involved in the strike, but Islamabad has dismissed the allegations as baseless.
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