New Delhi:
After India lodged "a strong protest" with the Pakistani envoy to New Delhi over yesterday's killing and mutilation of two jawans, the Pakistani Army has denied that its troops crossed into Indian Territory to ambush an Indian army patrol party.
One of the bodies was decapitated and its head is missing, said top Indian army sources.
Today's denial was expected by India which has identified the 29 Balouch Regiment of the Pakistani Army as the perpetrator of yesterday's attack.
A statement from a military spokesperson in Pakistan said that the Director General of Military Operations has spoken to his counterpart in Delhi. "Indian authorities were informed that Pakistan has carried out ground verification and checked and found nothing of this sort happened as being alleged by India. It is mere propaganda by Indian Army," the official said.
Last evening, a statement by the Pakistani army described India's allegations as "propaganda" to divert attention from a cross-border raid on Sunday in which a Pakistani soldier was killed. New Delhi has denied the allegations.
Pakistani envoy Salman Bashir was summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. A statement by the ministry said India had lodged "a strong protest" against the "barbaric and inhuman mutilation" of its jawans. The Government of Pakistan was asked to immediately investigate these actions that are in contravention of all norms of international conduct and ensure that these do not recur," the statement said.