New Delhi: Two Indian Armed Forces personnel were martyred, one Indian Air Force officer and the other a BSF Sub-Inspector, while seven others from his unit were injured in the past 24 hours amid intensified shelling and drone attacks by Pakistani forces across the Jammu region.
Sergeant Surendra Kumar Moga, a 36-year-old medical assistant attached to IAF’s 36 Wing, was killed in a Pakistani strike while stationed in J&K’s Udhampur.
Originally posted in Bengaluru, he had been redeployed to Udhampur just four days ago due to escalating tensions with Pakistan.
Moga’s family in Mehradasi village of Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu was informed Saturday.
He is survived by his 65-year-old mother, Nanu Devi, wife Seema, and two children.
Villagers gathered to mourn as preparations began for a state funeral.
He is a native of Mandawa in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu.
Jhunjhunu District Collector, Ramavatar Meena, said, “Surendra Kumar Moga had been posted at the 39th wing of the IAF at the Udhampur airbase. He was killed during a Pakistani attack early Saturday morning at the airbase. Upon receiving the information in the morning, the district police superintendent, Sharad Chaudhary and I visited his family and informed them about the news.”
District Collector Meena said that Moga’s body will be brought to Jhunjhunu by Sunday evening.
Expressing his condolences to the family, the Collector said, “We have also spoken to the family and assured them of providing necessary aid and other financial support to their family members.”
Sub-Inspector Mohammed Imtiaz was killed when his BSF unit positioned along the International Border in the RS Pura sector came under heavy Pakistani firing.
“He, along with seven others, was wounded. While Imtiaz died of wounds, the others are stable and under treatment at a health facility,” a BSF official said.
Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, a JCO from Himachal, died Saturday morning when an artillery shell exploded near his post in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch.
Rifleman Sunil Kumar, 25, of J&K Light Infantry, died of wounds suffered during overnight gunfire and shelling in the RS Pura sector.
India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announcing that the Directors General of military operations of both countries had decided to stop all firings and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 5 pm Saturday.
India said late Saturday that Pakistan violated the understanding reached between DGMOs of the two countries earlier in the day on the stoppage of firing and military action, and that the Indian Army is retaliating and dealing with the border intrusions.
At a special briefing, Foreign Secretary Misri said this is a breach of the understanding arrived at earlier Saturday afternoon and India takes “very serious note of these violations”.
India called upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility.
The Foreign Secretary said India’s Armed Forces have been given instructions to deal strongly with any instances of repetition of the violations of the border along the International Border as well as the Line of Control.
Indian soldiers are carrying out retaliatory action and responding to this border intrusion. This aggression is highly condemnable, and Pakistan is responsible for it. We believe that Pakistan must understand the gravity of the situation and take immediate and appropriate action to stop this aggression,” Foreign Secretary Misri added.
The Army, he said, is keeping a close watch on the situation and has been instructed to take firm and strong measures to deal with any incursion.
IANS
