MUZAFFARABAD: One Rangers soldier was martyred and another seriously injured when snipers from a rioting group opened fire on law enforcement personnel during a road clearance operation in Kotli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The firing took place during an operation to clear the Sarsawa-Taatraar Khul Road in Kotli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which had been closed by members of the rioting group.
Rangers soldier Sepoy Shah Nawaz was hit in the chest and succumbed to his injuries, while Lance Naik Bilal sustained a serious shoulder injury in the attack, sources said.
Sepoy Shah Nawaz, who was martyred in the firing, belonged to Khairpur district of Sindh, sources said.
The clearance operation is being conducted to reopen roads that have remained blocked, officials said. The operation was launched following strong demands from local residents facing severe difficulties in transportation and shortages of food supplies.
Security personnel are continuing efforts to restore road connectivity and facilitate the movement of residents and essential supplies, according to officials.
Experts described the use of modern weapons and explosives by the rioting group against security personnel as terrorism carried out as part of a planned campaign.
They said the unprecedented sacrifices of security forces are a testament to the fact that the establishment and protection of the state writ is indispensable at all times.
The experts also called for immediate, strict and indiscriminate legal action against armed groups involved in attacks on state institutions.
