Indian Army probes firing that killed two soldiers

JAMMU - The Indian Army Wednesday probed the origin of gunfire from Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district that hit a military truck and killed two soldiers.

The soldiers were killed instantly in the attack on a mountainous road close to the Line of Control (LoC) at Nangi Tikri in Mendhar, 200 km north of Jammu Tuesday evening.

Three other soldiers were injured in the firing. The LoC divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Military officials, who are convinced the firing came from Pakistan, said the border was calm Wednesday.

“The way the vehicle was ambushed, it appeared to be the work of professionals and trained men. In this case the Pakistani Army’s role is being ascertained,” an army source told IANS.

The Pakistan Army had opened fire May 1 and 6 in the same sector. A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was injured in the first incident.

A defence ministry official in Jammu said the Indian Army had not retaliated Tuesday. And there was no further firing from across the LoC as well.

But the Indians are planning to take up the attack with Pakistan.

The sources said one reason India was downplaying the incident was because it did not want the spirit of dialogue between India and Pakistan to be adversely affected.

Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram is likely to visit Islamabad in June. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will go to Pakistan to meet his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi July 15.

But the Indian Army has stepped up its vigil along the 646-km LoC. It fears that there could be further attempts from across the border to push militants into Jammu and Kashmir.