Pak army denies LoC attack; calls it 'Indian propaganda'

The Pakistani army has denied reports that two Indian soldiers were killed in a border clash between the two armies in the Mendhar sector at the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu region on Tuesday.

The Indian Army had said in a release earlier, "A group of their (Pakistan's) regular soldiers intruded across the LoC in the Mendhar Sector on January 8. A firefight broke out between the two sides, and continued for approximately half an hour after which the intruders retreated towards their side of the LoC. Two soldiers -- Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh-- laid down their lives."

A senior military official at the general headquarters in Rawalpindi said, "The Pakistan military deny India's allegations of unprovoked firing. It looks like India's propaganda to divert the attention of the world of the Sunday raid on a Pakistani post by Indian troops, in which a Pakistani soldier was killed."

Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relation of Pakistan army had claimed on Sunday in a statement, "Indian Army troops crossed the LoC at the Haji Pir Sector (Bagh) and raided a Pakistani checkpost named Sawan Patra. Pakistan army troops effectively responded and repulsed the attack successfully. Two soldiers were critically injured while the Indian Army troops retreating left behind a weapon (gun) and a dagger".

According to the ISPR, Naik Aslam, who was critically injured during the raid succumbed to his injuries.