ISLAMABAD: In a tit-for-tat action, Pakistan Army on Thursday destroyed an army post across the Line of Control and killed five soldiers hours after a Pakistani civilian lost his life in Indian firing on a students’ van.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media affairs wing of Pakistan Army, said the Indian post was hit in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector from where innocent citizens were being targeted.

Five Indian soldiers were killed and many injured, ISPR chief Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted.

Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly, he said.

Earlier, two students of a private school and as many of Government Degree College, Mandhol, were returning home in the Dharamsal area when their van was hit by Indian troops at about 1:30pm, Hajira Assistant Commissioner Sikandar Hayat told Dawn.

“Indian troops opened a burst of fire on the vehicle, killing the driver on the spot,” he said.

The deceased was identified as Sarfraz, 28.

“The students sitting in the vehicle escaped unhurt,” Mr Hayat added.

Haleema Shaheen, one of the students, said they all got frightened when the firing started.

“Suddenly we noticed blood oozing from the wounds of Saaji Bhai (referring to driver). We screamed but there was no one around,” she said in a video clip, shared by the ISPR on social media.

“People gathered at the scene...but the driver had died by then,” added the second year student.

Part of Battal sector of district Poonch and Dharamsal are located on the right and left banks of the River Poonch, respectively, and the Indian army’s post is just a stone’s throw from Dharamsal village.

Though a majority of families have moved out of Dharamsal due to unrelenting Indian shelling, some still live there.

Condemning the ceasefire violation, the ISPR chief said India’s “unethical and unprofessional approach” across the LoC continued to terrorise civilians.

“[Indian troops] targeted a van carrying schoolchildren in Battal sector, in violation of the Geneva Convention and ceasefire understanding and the van driver embraced shahadat,” he tweeted.

AJK President Sardar Masood Khan also condemned the incident as yet another “cowardly act of terror” on the part of Indian troops.

“India is shamelessly violating the ceasefire agreement and terrorising civilians in...AJK. She must be ready for a befitting retaliation,” he tweeted.

The heavily-militarised dividing line is constantly witnessing shelling by India in a breach of the truce agreement signed in November 2003 by the two armies.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2018