Multiple ceasefire violations by Pak along LoC: 5 soldiers among 11 killed
8 Pak army men gunned down in retaliatory fire
Srinagar/New Delhi: Pakistan on Friday indulged in heavy cross-border shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in which five security forces personnel and six civilians lost their lives but Indian troops retaliated strongly, killing eight Pakistani soldiers and injuring 12 others besides causing extensive damage to its infrastructure, officials and sources said.
Four Indian Army personnel, a BSF sub-inspector and six civilians were killed while four security forces personnel and eight civilians were injured in the firing by Pakistan during the multiple ceasefire violations between Gurez and Uri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The Pakistan army also resorted to heavy firing and shelling targeting villages and forward areas along the LoC in Poonch district, injuring seven people, including two Army porters, they said.
A number of videos released by the Indian Army showed destruction of several Pakistani positions and bunkers across the LoC with some of them going up in flames following the Indian retaliation.
According to intercepts of Pakistan Army's communication, those killed included two commandos from its Special Service Group, the sources said.
In addition, a number of Pakistan Army bunkers, fuel dumps and terrorist launch pads across the LoC were destroyed and set on fire, they said.
Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said Pakistan used mortars and other weapons and deliberately targeted civilian areas.
"Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC spread across multiple sectors to include Dawar, Keran, Uri and Naugam. Four Indian Army soldiers have been killed in action and three soldiers injured," he said, adding the nation salutes their supreme sacrifice.
Two civilians were killed in Kamalkote sector, also in Uri, while a woman was killed in Balkote area in Haji Peer sector, the officials added.
They said apart from various places in Uri, the ceasefire violations were reported from Izmarg in Gurez sector of Bandipora district and Keran sector of Kupwara district.
A defence official in Jammu said Pakistani troops violated ceasefire twice in Poonch district.
"Around 1345 and 1445 hours today, Pakistani army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in sector in Sawjian in Poonch," he said, adding Indian troops retaliated in a befitting manner.
Heavy exchange of fire was going on when the last reports last came in from the area, officials said, adding it was the third day in a row that Pakistani troops were targeting Shahpur, Qasba and Kirni sectors of Poonch.
Earlier, Col Kalia said the Army foiled an infiltration bid, which was aided by the ceasefire violation, along the LoC in the Keran sector.
"Suspicious movement was observed by our troops at the forward posts along the LoC in Keran sector (in north Kashmir's Kupwara district) today. The suspected infiltration bid was foiled by alert troops," he said, adding.
This was the second infiltration attempt within a week. The earlier unsuccessful bid in Machil sector during the intervening night of November 7- 8 was foiled in which three militants were killed.
Three Army soldiers, including a Captain, and a BSF jawan also lost their lives during the operation.
In New Delhi, BSF officials said SI Rakesh Doval, 39, deployed at the force's artillery battery at the LoC in Baramulla was killed after he sustained head injury in the firing around 1315 hours.
Constable Vasu Raja sustained splinter injuries on his arms and cheeks. He was deployed at the same forward defended location, they said, adding the constable is stable.
Almost all BSF units along the LoC are facing heaving firing since morning and an effective retaliation by the troops, artillery regiment and support weapons has been mounted, a senior officer of the force said.
The BSF works under the operational command of the Army at the LoC.
"The Sub Inspector has made supreme sacrifice in line of duty while facing heavy ceasefire violation from the enemy. The sub-officer was a resident of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and joined the border force in 2004," the officer said.
Doval is survived by his father, wife and a nine-year-old daughter, he said.
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BJP worker’s 16-year-old son allegedly casts eight votes in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad; Video viral
Lucknow (Farrukhabad): A viral video has surfaced showing a 16-year-old son of a BJP worker allegedly casting eight votes to the saffron party during the ongoing general elections in Uttar Pradesh. The video has sparked controversy, and the opposition has urged for prompt action from the Election Commission of India, reports scroll.in.
The video shared by the Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on micro-blogging site ‘X’, showed the youngster recording himself while casting multiple times in a series of instances. The incident reportedly took place in Khiri Pamaran village, which falls under the Aliganj Assembly constituency within the Farrukhabad parliamentary seat. Mukesh Rajput, the sitting MP, is the BJP candidate in this constituency. Polling in Farrukhabad occurred on May 13 during the fourth phase of the general election.
In the viral video, the youngster is seen casting eight votes in total, all for the BJP, one by one with different clippings.
The youngster in the video has been identified as Rajan Singh Thakur, confirmed his father, Anil Singh Thakur to the Scroll.in. Anil Singh Thakur is the gram pradhan (village head) of Khiri Pamaran and a member of the BJP.
Anil defending his son told the Scroll that the ‘Video misrepresented his son,’ and claimed that the voting was done when the machine was being tested in some instances and other clipping of him voting on behalf of mentally and physically disabled voters was merged and made into a video.
Despite the Anil's caims, the video has drawn significant criticism. Subhash Chandra Prajapati, the additional district magistrate of Farrukhabad, confirmed to the Scroll that the administration will file a case soon. He mentioned that the returning officer is investigating the matter following a directive from the chief electoral officer in Lucknow.
The opposition has been vocal in its criticism, with Akhilesh Yadav demanding action from the Election Commission. In his social media post, Yadav accused the BJP of undermining the electoral process and described the party's booth committee as a "loot committee." The Congress party also called on the Election Commission to take action, in a ‘X’ post the party wrote, “Dear Election Commission…are you watching..a boy is voting 8-8 times ... .at least wake up now.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, took to ‘X’ to express, “Fearing and seeing their defeat, the BJP is attempting to undermine democracy by pressuring government machinery to deny the mandate. The Congress expects all officers performing election duties to remember their constitutional responsibilities despite any pressure from those in power. Otherwise, once the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc government is formed, actions will be taken to ensure that anyone will think ten times before violating their 'Oath to the Constitution'."
Following the video's circulation, Naval Kishor Shakya, the Samajwadi Party candidate in Farrukhabad, filed a complaint with the district election officer. Shakya's complaint alleges that Rajan Singh Thakur cast votes after snatching voter information slips from other voters and that he was assisted by Dinesh Thakur, the local police station's station house officer. Shakya has called for re-polling at the affected polling center.
In a related incident earlier in May, Gujarat Police arrested two BJP workers for allegedly casting bogus votes and live-streaming the act on social media in the Dahod constituency. The Election Commission conducted re-polling at the affected booth following the incident.
The opposition INDIA bloc, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of failing to take prompt action against election model code of conduct violations.
अपनी हार सामने देख कर भाजपा जनादेश को झुठलाने के लिए सरकारी तंत्र पर दबाव बना कर लोकतंत्र को लूटना चाहती है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 19, 2024
कांग्रेस चुनावी ड्यूटी कर रहे सभी अधिकारियों से यह अपेक्षा करती है कि वो सत्ता के दबाव के सामने अपनी संवैधानिक ज़िम्मेदारी न भूलें।
वरना INDIA की सरकार बनते ही ऐसी… https://t.co/fk4wXL8QZy
