4 Army soldiers killed in LoC shelling

Jammu, Feb 04: Four soldiers were killed and another injured in shelling by Pakistani troops across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday.
Pakistan also targeted the Shahpur sector of Poonch district. The shelling from across the border which started this morning and was continuing intermittently, a police official said earlier.
In Rajouri district, six mortars fired by Pakistani forces exploded near Neaka Panjgrain and Tarkundi villages in Manjakote sector around 1540 hours, the official added.
The Indian forces responded, triggering an exchange of fire between the two sides which was continuing when last reports were received, he said.
Earlier, an army man was injured after the soldiers of India and Pakistan traded fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.
An official said that Pakistan army fired at Indian positions along the LoC in Shahpur sector of Poonch today morning.
He said Indian troops retaliated to the firing effectively. “An army man was injured in the cross-border firing,” he said.
A 15-year-old girl, as per reports, was also injured in border skirmishes in the Poonch district.
Shahnaz Bano, 15, of Shahpur was injured in the Pakistani firing and hospitalised, reports said.
A Defence spokesman said Pakistan Army initiated “unprovoked and indiscriminate” firing of small arms, automatics and mortars around 1110 hours. The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, he said.
Fourteen persons, including eight civilians, were killed and over 70 others injured in intense shelling between the two countries along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts and LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts from January 18 to 22.