By Muhammad Luqman
Three soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred in firing by Indian forces from across the Line of Control (LoC), Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said on Thursday.
In a tweet from his official account, Ghafoor said that the Pakistan armed forces, in a counter-attack, had killed five Indian soldiers and injured several others while bunkers were also damaged.
“Intermittent exchange of fire continues,” he wrote.
In efforts to divert attention from precarious situation in IOJ&K,Indian Army increases firing along LOC.
3 Pakistani soldiers embraced shahadat. Pakistan Army responded effectively. 5 Indian soldiers killed, many injured, bunkers damaged. Intermittent exchange of fire continues. pic.twitter.com/wx1RoYdiKE— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 15, 2019
Maj General Asif Ghafoor said that the Indian army had increased firing along the LoC as part of “efforts to divert attention from [the] precarious situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir”.
The Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives include Naik Tanveer, Lance Naik Taimoor and Sepoy Ramzan.
The firing offensive from Indian forces comes on Aug 15, India’s independence day. Pakistan is observing the day as Black Day in order to protest against the ongoing Indian atrocities, blatant human rights violations and imposition of curfew in occupied Kashmir. The protest by Pakistan follows New Delhi’s decision to scrap Article 370 of the Indian constitution, stripping occupied Kashmir of its special autonomy.
15 اگست یومِ سیاہ کے موقع پر گورنر پنجاب چوہدری محمد سرور کی قیادت میں کشمیر مارچ کا اہتمام ۔ وزیرِاعلیٰ پنجاب سردار عثمان بزدار، وزیر خارجہ مخدوم شاہ محمود قریشی کی شرکت۔ پاکستانی عوام کشمیری بہن بھائیوں کے ساتھ اظہار یکجہتی کے لئے بڑی تعداد میں موجود ۔#BlackDay15thAugust pic.twitter.com/5mEYRn9YRh
— Team SMQ (@TeamSMQ) August 15, 2019
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s flag flew at half mast on Thursday to bserve Black Day over India’s decision to revoke the special status of disputed territory of Kashmir.
India’s decision this month, along with a communications blackout and curbs on the movement of those in Kashmir, invited the anger and ire of Pakistan, which cut trade and transport links and downgraded diplomatic ties with India.
Newspapers in Pakistan printed editions with black borders on Thursday and politicians, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, replaced their social media pictures with black squares.
Protests were held across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. In eastern city of Lahore, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed a rally and warned India of dire consequences over scrapping of Kashmir’s autonomous status.
