 "An army person takes position and moves towards the site where militants were hiding during an encounter at Lachipora in Uri Sector of north Kahsmir. Photo: PTI")
The Indian Army on Thursday said that one of its soldiers from the 37 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), along with his standard weapon, had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) and termed as "completely false and baseless" reports in Pakistani media that eight of its soldiers had been killed.
An army release issued by the Defence Ministry said that Pakistan had been informed on the hotline by the Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Ranbir Singh about the soldier crossing over the LoC.
It said that such inadvertent crossing by army personnel and civilians was not unusual on either side and they are are returned through existing mechanisms.
"One soldier from 37 RR with weapon has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control. Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO on the hotline. Such inadvertent crossing by Army and civilians are not unusual on either side. They are returned through existing mechanisms," the release said.
"As regard report of killing of eight Indian Army personnel reported in sections of Pakistan media, the report is completely false and baseless," the release added.
Dawn had quoted security sources as saying that Pakistan military had said it had captured an Indian soldier and killed eight others. Dawn later withdrew the story, replacing it with another that did not specify the number of Indian soldiers killed.
Dawn identified the soldier who crossed over as Chandu Babulal Chohan, 22, from Maharashtra. Dawn said he had been shifted to an undisclosed location.
It said the soldier was caught after the Indian military fired across the LoC.
Dawn said the bodies of the dead Indian soldiers lay unattended at the LoC, which divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
India on Thursday said that it had carried out "surgical strikes" on terrorist launch pads across the LoC, inflicting massive casualties. Pakistan has denied the surgical strikes ever took place.
