Pak denies Indian troops crossed LoC

NDTV: "Pakistan has dismissed reports that Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control yesterday to help in the reconstruction of a bunker.

Reports in India had quoted defence sources on Wednesday as saying that Indian soldiers crossed the LoC to help Pakistani troops rebuild a bunker dislodged in Saturday's earthquake.

The quake killed more than 30,000 people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while 1,300 are estimated to have died on the Indian side.

Pakistan defence spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said the reports were fabricated and baseless.

Maintaining that the bunkers were robust and built to withstand all kinds of shocks, Sultan claimed there was no question of any damage to the installations.

He added that the damage along the LoC on the Pakistani side was less than on the Indian side.

Pakistan has stated that most of its army casualties took place in camps in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, and Rawalakot rather than at the LoC. The Indian Army has refused to contradict Islamabad's denial.

Speaking to NDTV, General-officer-in-Charge of the 15 Corps Lt General SS Dhillon said Indian troops did not help rebuild Pakistan bunkers at Aman Setu.

"The Indian army has never claimed that we have helped the Pakistan army construct bunkers", General Dhillon said. "We have never said that. It is a misrepresentation."

"All we have said is that the Indian and the Pakistan army got together at a particular point and carried out a joint rescue effort on the LoC, where some individuals were trapped under debris."

An army spokesman further clarified that the troops had gone across unarmed to give Pakistani soldiers picks and shovels to clear debris off some pillars of the Aman Setu bridge on the Pakistani side.
(With PTI inputs)"