Army officials said that Pakistan also violated the ceasefire in Poonch sector on Thursday night. Havaldar Mathiazhagan P belonged to Tamil Nadu’s Salem district

An Indian Army soldier from Tamil Nadu was killed in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir late on Thursday, officials said on Friday.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said Havaldar Mathiazhagan P died in the shelling on Thursday night and added that he belonged to Sreerangai Kadu village in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district.

“Our troops responded strongly to the enemy fire. In the incident, Havaldar Mathiazhagan P was critically injured. The soldier was evacuated to Army Hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries,” Lt Col Anand said.

Mathiazhagan P was a brave, highly motivated and a sincere soldier, Anand said.

“The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” he added.

His body will be taken by road from Akhnoor to Jammu and then to Delhi in an aircraft. From the national capital it will be taken to Coimbatore, the official said.

Pakistan also violated the ceasefire in the front sector of Poonch district on Thursday night.

The army officer also said that Pakistan initiated unprovoked fire at about 10:45 pm with small arms and shelling with mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kirni sector in adjoining Poonch district.

The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly, he added.

The spokesperson said that a large scale search has begun in Kalakote of Rajouri district after a terrorist was killed by security forces in an operation in the area late on Thursday.

“Acting upon hard intelligence, security forces eliminated one terrorist in Dharmsal village in Kalakote area of Rajouri district,” he said.

According to a local, security forces exchanged fire with terrorists in Dharmsal village around 8.15 pm on Thursday.

There has been a spurt in terror attacks and infiltration bids in Jammu and Kashmir during the lockdown to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Pakistan has been relentlessly opening heavy fire on Indian posts and villages along the 744-km LoC for more than two and a half months.