The attack comes a day after Kargil Vijay Diwas. (File)
One soldier was killed in action and another was injured during an encounter with terrorists along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district today.
In a statement, the Army said a "Pakistani intruder" was also killed in the encounter.
"Taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility along the Line of Control in the Machhal Sector, a group of two to three armed personnel crossed the LC and fired on a forward Army post from close proximity. Alert troops responded vigorously and, in the ensuing exchange of fire, one Pakistani intruder has been killed along with recovery of weapons, ammunition and war-like stores. Identification and affiliation of this Pakistani National is being ascertained," the statement said.
Two soldiers suffered grave injuries in the exchange of fire and were shifted to the Base Hospital in Srinagar. The Army said one of the soldiers died of his injuries while the other is responding well to treatment and is stable.
"In the past, too, similar attempts by infiltrators, actively aided and abetted by the Pakistani Army, have exploited thick foliage and poor visibility conditions but have always, as today, been successfully thwarted and disrupted. Indian Army is firm in its resolve and commitment to maintain the sanctity of the Line of Control and defeat the nefarious and inimical designs of the Pakistan Army," the statement said.
Army sources said the attack seems to have been aided by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT), which was involved in multiple such operations before the ceasefire understating between India and Pakistan in February 2021.
"This an aggressive action and clearly an escalation along the LOC," said a senior officer.
The attack comes a day after Kargil Vijay Diwas, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a stern warning to Pakistan and said that the Indian Army would defeat every terror challenge.
Earlier this week, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi had visited the same area of the LoC and reviewed the preparedness of the forces to deal with infiltration and terrorist attacks.
Amid rising terror incidents, PM Modi had chaired a review meeting to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir last month. He had spoken to Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and was given a full overview of the security-related situation of the Union Territory and the counter-terrorism operations being undertaken by the armed forces.
He also spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and was briefed on the efforts being undertaken by the local administration.
The Prime Minister has asked the authorities to deploy the full spectrum of the armed forces' counter-terror capabilities.