Soldier, four civilians martyred in unprovoked firing at LoC: ISPR

Pakistan Army on Friday said that a soldier and four civilians embraced martyrdom in an indiscriminate fire from Indian forces at the Line of Control (LoC) after being humiliated during a gunfight with freedom fighters in the illegally Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Indian forces targeted civilian population along the LoC after being "humiliated" at the hands of local freedom fighters in occupied Kashmir, opposite Neelum Valley on the night of November 7/8.

"The Indian Army suffered few casualties including four soldiers. To ward off the humiliation faced by the Indian Army in front of the domestic audience, instead of finding the reasons from within and addressing the same, on 13 November 2020, the Indian Army opted for resorting to unprovoked and indiscriminate fire of all calibers, including artillery and heavy mortars, along the LoC in various sectors of AJ&K," said the military’s media wing.

They intentionally targeted the civilian population at the LoC and committed grave human rights and international law violations, the ISPR said adding that the firing claimed the lives of four innocent civilians besides also injuring 12 others.

"Pakistan Army gave a befitting reply to the Indian Army, and effectively targeted those Indian posts which engaged innocent civilians," reads ISPR statement. "As a result, substantial losses, both in terms of men and material, have been incurred on to Indian troops which have also been accepted by Indian media."

Furthermore, ISPR stated that the Indian Army's losses were much more what they were acknowledging, adding that one brave Pakistani soldier was martyred in this exchange while five others were injured.

"We stand committed to defend the motherland and our Kashmiri brethren even at the cost of our blood and lives. We assure, that all such provocative acts shall continue to be responded in the same coin," said the ISPR.

Earlier, the ISPR had spoken about the exchange between the two sides after India resorted to unprovoked aggression across the LoC.