A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed when Pakistan opened heavy fire with automatic weapons and rockets on Indian posts along the LoC in Poonch sector today, in the third ceasefire violation in a fortnight.

One of the rockets hit Lonawali post on the Line of Control (LoC) in which one splinter hit JCO Naib Subedar Bachan Singh of Garhwal Regiment resulting in his death, a senior Army officer said.

The latest incident comes barely two days after Nawaz Sharif took oath as Pakistan Prime Minister. Sharif had yesterday vowed to “progressively pursue” normalcy in ties with India while actively seeking solutions to outstanding issues, including Kashmir.

Pakistani troops opened heavy firing with automatic weapons and Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) on Indian posts along the LoC in Subjian sub-sector of Poonch at around 1 pm, the officer said.

Indian troops retaliated after the unprovoked firing, he said, adding the exchange of fire was continuing till late in the day.

Army suspects that the firing was aimed at providing a cover to infiltrators trying to sneak in the Indian side.

The entire area has been cordoned off and a search operation has been launched, he said.

Earlier, on May 27, Pakistani troops had pounded Indian posts along the LoC in the same Poonch sector with rockets.

A Brigadier and two jawans were injured on May 24, when Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian positions along the LoC in the Tutmari Gali sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

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