Indian Army crosses LoC, kills 3 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for Keri attack: Report

The Pakistani media reported Monday that India had killed three Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control.

It added that one Pakistani soldier was wounded.  

ANI reported Tuesday, quoting intelligence sources, that Indian Army troops had crossed over the Line of Control and killed the three soldiers. 

ANI added that the killings were in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan. 

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said the killings had been caused by a ceasefire violation. 

“India initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. Three soldiers embraced shahadat (died). One injured,” it said on its website. 

The ISPR added that Pakistani troops had given a "strong response" to the attack. 

Some media outlets however quoted the Indian Army as denying the reports, blaming Pakistan for the ceasefire violation, and saying the Pakistani soldiers may have died in return fire. 

The three Pakistani soldiers killed, sources said, belonged to the 59 Baloch Regiment, 12 infantry division. 

They were identified as Sepoy Sajjad, M Usma, and Abdul Rehman. 

The injured Pakistani soldier was identified as Athzaz Hussain. 

The sources added that the "action" took place in the Rakhchakri area of Rawalkot on the afternoon of December 25. 

The ceasefire along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir has been violated 881 times this year. 

The four Indian soldiers killed on Saturday included a major, two lance naiks, and a sepoy.