Pakistan army denies cross-LoC firing

Hours after an Indian soldier was killed in a rocket attack across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan army on Friday said its troops had not carried out any firing across the ceasefire line.

The "Pakistan military spokesperson has categorically denied the allegation of cross-LoC fire, saying that no Pakistani troops carried out any firing across the LoC on Indian positions", the army said in a statement posted on Twitter.

State-run Radio Pakistan quoted a military spokesperson as denying the allegation of cross-LoC firing. A Junior Commissioned Officer of the Indian Army was killed in heavy firing with automatic weapons and rockets from the Pakistani side of the LoC in Poonch sector.

This was the third ceasefire violation in a fortnight. A rocket hit a post on the LoC and killed Naib Subedar Bachan Singh.

Indian troops retaliated after the unprovoked firing. The incident came barely two days after Nawaz Sharif took over as Pakistan prime minister and vowed to "progressively pursue" normalcy in ties with India while actively seeking solutions to outstanding issues, including Kashmir.

On May 27, Pakistani troops had targeted Indian posts along the LoC in the Poonch sector with rockets. A brigadier and two soldiers were injured on May 24, when Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions along the LoC in Tutmari Gali sector.