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15 Pakistani Rangers gunned down by BSF jawans in J&K

Pakistani troops have resorted to intermittent firing in Hiranagar, RS Pura and Kathua areas of J&K since midnight.

At least 15 Pakistani Rangers have been reportedly gunned down during a gunbattle with the Border Security Force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

“We are not yet confirmed about the number of causalities on the other side, but approximately 15 Pak army men have died,” Arun Kumar, additional director general, BSF, said.

Meanwhile, fresh ceasefire violations also reported in Balakot sector of Poonch district. However, no Indian casualties have been reported so far. The troops resorted to unprovoked firing through small arms, automatic and mortars.

In another attack by the Pakistani forces, a civilian was killed in Pallanwala sector near the Line of Control. In the last four days, two people have killed and 24 injured in repeated attacks by the Pakistani troopers along the Line of Control. More than 60 cattle have died and 200 injured in the firing. The villagers have said that it becomes extremey difficult for them to find a safe place during night to escape the firing and mortar shells, PTI reported.

Relations between India and Pakistan are frosty since the Indian Army’s surgical strike on seven terror pads along the Line of Control (LoC) in the wee hours of September 29. The counter-terror operation was conducted in retaliation to the September 18 terror attack in Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir, in which 18 Indian Army jawans were killed.

Since then, there has been a surge in militant attacks as well as ceasefire violations by Pakistani troopers in the Valley.