Pak soldier's body returned with military respects

Indian authorities on Friday handed over to Pakistan Army the body of its soldier who intruded into the Indian territory and was killed in the Naushera sector along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

The body was handed over with military honours at a commander-level flag meeting at a Post in Laam belt around 5:50 pm by an Indian Army team led by Col Sanjeev Verma of 5 Sikh LI, a senior police officer told PTI.

The Indian Army had earlier handed over the body of the deceased Pakistani soldier to the Jammu and Kashmir Police at police station Naroka."The solider's identity has been established as Mohammad Ikhlak of 60 Punjab Regiment," Col Verma said.

The latest incident of ceasefire violation came a month after Pakistani troops entered the Indian territory and killed two Indian soldiers and beheaded one of them.

"On February 14, at approximately 1500 hours, Indian troops at Laam post in Rajouri sector observed suspicious movement along the Indian side of LoC," Defence PRO S N Acharya said on Friday night.

On being challenged by a patrol party, the infiltrator opened indiscriminate fire injuring two jawans, he said, adding that in the ensuing encounter the infiltrator was killed and one AK-56 rifle and some ammunition were recovered.

He said the Pakistan DGMO made an unscheduled call to his Indian counterpart this morning requesting for the soldier's body. Acceding to the request, the body was returned to Pakistan Army in the same sector in the evening with military honours, Acharya said.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by resorting to heavy unprovoked automatic fire on Indian posts in Mendhar Sector on Thursday night. But, there was no ceasefire violation from across the border on Friday, he said.