Soldier inadvertently crossed LoC, Pak has been informed: Indian Army source
One soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control, an army source said.
An Indian soldier strayed across the de-facto border with Pakistan on Thursday, an army source said amid rising tensions following a “surgical strike” India said it carried out against “terror launchpads”.
One soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control, the source said. “Such inadvertent crossing by soldiers and civilians are not unusual on either side… They are returned through existing mechanisms,” he added.
Pakistan was informed about the incident by the director general of military operations Lt Gen Ranbir Singh.
Two officials based in Pakistan’s Chhamb’s sector told Reuters the Indian soldier with weapons was captured at 1.30pm local time.
India earlier said it carried out “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control, taking out several temporary shelters militants were preparing to use to cross over into the country.
The strikes were India’s first direct military response to the attack on the Uri army base earlier this month that killed 18 Indian soldiers and was blamed on Pakistan-based militants.
The cross-border action came days after New Delhi reviewed its 56-year-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and pulled out of the regional Saarc Summit in Islamabad as part of a wider diplomatic offensive to isolate its neighbour.
Islamabad promptly denied the claim and said it would respond strongly were India to try a military raid on its soil.
Pakistan’s military claimed it killed eight Indian soldiers while retaliating to India’s firing at the first line of defence at the LoC at Tatta Pani, according to a Dawn report.
Citing security sources, Dawn said the killings occurred when the Indian Army opened fire across the border, killing two Pakistani soldiers.
The army source, however, denied reports of the killing of Indian soldiers at the LoC. “…the report is completely false and baseless,” he said.
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