Soldier Killed by Pak Sniper Along LoC, Third Attack in 3 Days

Three army personnel have been killed in a sniper attack by Pakistan along the LOC.

Photo of Martyred soldier Naik Gosavi Keshav Somgir.

(Photo: ANI/altered by The Quint)

Naik Gosavi Keshav Somgir, an Army soldier was killed on Sunday, 11 November by a Pakistani sniper along the Line of Control (LOC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said, the third fatal casualty due to sniping from across the border in three days.

The soldier, manning a forward post in Kalal area of Nowshera sector, was shot by a Pakistani sniper, resulting in his death, the Army officials said.

Photo of Martyred soldier Nail Gosavi Keshav Somgir.(Photo: ANI)

Naik Gosavi Keshav Somgir (29), belonged to village Sri Rampur of Nashik district of Maharashtra, a defence spokesman said. Somgir is survived by wife Yashoda Gosavi.

Pakistan Army resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire violation in Nowshera sector on the Line of Control at about 2:45 pm resulting in critical injuries to Somgir due to fire from across the border and succumbed to gunshot wound injuries.

Army Spokesperson

He said Somgir had served in the Army for 10 years and his death would not "go in vain".

"The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the Army spokesperson said.

On Saturday, 10 November a soldier was killed after he was hit by a sniper in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district.

Rifleman Varun Kattal, 21, a resident of Mawa-Rajpura area of Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, was shot dead by a Pakistani sniper in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, triggering an exchange of fire between the two sides which also left two BSF personnel injured.

An Army porter also lost his life in a similar attack in Akhnoor sector a day earlier.

On 21 October, three soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir light infantry regiment and two heavily-armed infiltrators, believed to be members of the Border Action Team (BAT) of the Pakistani army, and terrorists, were killed in Sunderbani sector.

On 6 November, a soldier was injured when he was hit by a sniper from across the border at Kalal in Nowshera sector of Rajouri, while a BSF jawan was injured in a separate incident of firing by Pakistan along the LoC in the Manjakote area of the Rajouri-Poonch sector Friday.

The number of ceasefire violations this year by Pakistan has been the highest in the past eight years.

The first seven months of this year saw 52 deaths and 232 people getting injured in 1,435 ceasefire violations in the state, according to an RTI reply by the Home Ministry.

(With inputs from ANI)