1 jawan killed, 4 injured as Pakistan violates ceasefire for 2nd day, shells LoC in Rajouri

An Army jawan was killed and four others were injured when the Pakistan army violated ceasefire for a second day Monday, resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.

The Pakistani army initiated unprovoked firing about 05:30 hours targeting the LoC area in the Sunderbani Sector with mortar bombs and small arms, a defence spokesman said.

The Indian Army retaliated effectively, he said.

"In the incident, rifleman Karamjeet Singh was critically injured and later succumbed to injuries," the spokesman said, adding four other soldiers were injured and condition of two of them was critical.

The 24-year-old deceased rifleman belonged to Janer village, under Dharam Kot Tehsil in Moga district of Punjab and he is survived by his parents, he said.

The defence spokesman paid tribute to Singh describing him as a brave and sincere soldier. "The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty."

As per officials, the causality was caused in the Pakistani shelling along the LoC in Keri Battal forward area in the Sunderbani sector.

On Sunday too, the sector was targeted by the Pakistan Army in unprovoked ceasefire violation.

The border skirmishes witnessed a spurt after India's air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot on February 26 in response to the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

The year 2018 witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations, numbering 2,936 by Pakistani troops, in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border.

Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides.