News Desk
RAWALPINDI: At least seven Pakistani soldiers were martyred on Sunday night during cross-border firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Bhimber sector.
‘Seven soldiers embraced martyrdom at the LoC in the Bhimber sector in cross-fire LoC violation by Indian troops late last night,’ the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Monday.
‘Pakistani troops while responding to unprovoked Indian firing targeted Indian posts effectively,’ the military statement added.
The Foreign Office (FO) summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale on Monday to lodge a protest against the killing of soldiers across the LoC.
The FO Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said India must stop all ceasefire violations and avoid targeting residents along the LoC.
‘We reserve the right to respond befittingly respond to Indian aggression,’ he said.
The FO also delivered a letter of protest to India. Zakaria earlier strongly condemned the ‘continuous unprovoked’ firing and said in a message on micrblogging website Twitter, ‘Pakistan Army responding in befitting manner. We salute our valiant soldiers who render ultimate sacrifices for national cause.’
Pakistani authorities last week also lodged protest with India on multiple occasions as well as with the UN military observers over targeting of civilian population. The civilian death toll from Indian shelling has risen to at least 26 in the past few weeks. Another 107 have been injured.
The Pakistani FO has protested at least five times during the past five weeks over targeting of civilian population.
Tension between Pakistan and India has been high since July, when Indian forces killed a young Kashmiri leader in Indian-held Kashmir, prompting months of protests and a security crackdown that has claimed more than hundred lives in Indian-held Kashmir.