New Delhi (Sputnik): An Indian Army soldier was killed and seven others were left severely wounded on Wednesday in an IED explosion near the Line of Control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan.
The blast, which occurred in the Mendhar area, located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, occurred when a patrol party of 12 Madras Regiment was moving near a forward post, a police official said, confirming the development over the phone.
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Since mid-February, the Indian and Pakistani militaries have asked their troops to remain on high-alert and remain vigilant at the border (LoC).
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India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed South Asian nations, were involved in major escalation after 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mmohammad claimed the responsibility for the attack.
The Indian Air Force retaliated with an air strike on 26 February and claimed that the strike had destroyed terror infrastructure and killed militants in Balakot, Pakistan. Islamabad denied the Indian claim of losses of life or property but launched a counter-strike on 27 February and shot down an Indian MiG-21 Bison fighter jet in the ensuing dogfight.
