Kupwara:Â Three Indian Army soldiers and six militants have been killed in encounters in the Kupwara district of north Kashmir since the firing began on Saturday.
The attack comes amid renewed violence along the LoC, where Pakistan has been targeting Indian posts with increased frequency. A senior Border Security Force (BSF) official on Sunday blamed Pakistan for trying to push militants into the Indian territory.
Large quantities of arms and ammunition have been recovered from the area. The forest has been cordoned off and a search operation is in place for three more militants which are believed to be holed-up in the area.
The Indian government has given full backing to border forces to go on the offensive in the event of unprovoked firing from Pakistan along the Indo-Pak border.
BSF sources said Islamabad has also deployed Pakistan Army’s 12 Mujahideen Battallion in Charwa sector to help Pakistan Rangers.
At a meeting held at home ministry with Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval and BSF DG DK Pathak among others discussed the issue of escalating tension on the Indo-Pak border. Sources say government is fully backing all action taken by BSF and asked it to ensure safety of civilians in border areas.
The August offensive of 2013 had begun after Pakistan forces had killed five Indian soldiers patrolling the border. The killing had followed the January beheading of an Indian army man leading to nationwide outrage. Forces of the two countries exchanged bullets for the whole month before an understanding was reached in September.
While kin of the Indian soldier’s kin want a written assurance from the government on strict action against Pakistan. Jawan Neeraj Kumar was killed in Kupwara as was Vijay Rai in Poonch. His wife has written to the Bihar government refusing to take the compensation and instead demanding military action.
Pushpa Rai, wife of Jawan Vijay Rai told reporters in her village of Bihta “Can Rs 10 lakh compensation bring back my husband? We don’t want compensation but strong military reply to Pakistan for killing my husband and other Indian soldiers. How long will we accept attacks by Pakistan? Our soldiers are killed and beheaded. We will not accept anything less than a military action against Pakistan which is perpetrating attacks on our soldiers.â€
The grieving family members of Jawan Rahul Kumar slammed the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of not taking enough steps to protect the soldiers.
The body of 22-year-old jawan Rahul Kumar reached his native village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Tuesday morning.
“I raised him and admitted him to the military school. The government doesn’t have strong rules for soldiers. They don’t receive proper orders or weapons. They remain quiet. I have another son I am ready to sacrifice him and myself for the country,” said Kumar’s father.
“The government keeps saying that good days will come. Our good days have arrived. My brother died in 3 months after the new government took over. We should kill 100 soldiers from Pakistan in retaliation,” said Kumar’s brother.
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