NEW DELHI: The Indian Army on Tuesday held a Pakistani national near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials confirmed.
“A Pakistani national has been apprehended from the LoC in the Poonch sector,” an Army official said.
The arrest came amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in which 25 tourists and a pony operator were killed.
The attack was one of the most brutal strikes in recent memory, with terrorists targeting and gunning down tourists in Jammu and Kashmir.
Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the deadly Pahalgam attack, security has been heightened in multiple areas in the valley, including in Poonch and Rajouri districts, with police officials setting up vehicle check points on multiple roads.
The heightened security measures also come amid repeated small-arms firing from the Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LOC), which was responded by the Indian forces accordingly.
Citing “cross-border linkages” to the Pahalgam attack, India has promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike.
India on April 23 announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operation land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties in view of cross-border links to the attack.
In response, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian airliners and suspended all trade with India, including through third countries.
(With agency inputs)
