Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Two days after a suicide car bomber killed 40 CRPF men and injured many others in Lethpora area of south Kashmir, an army officer was killed and another injured in a powerful IED blast near the Line of Control in Nowshera sector on Saturday.

An army official said an IED blast took place in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir close to the LoC when an army party was patrolling the area.

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He said an Army major and a jawan sustained critical injuries in the blast and were evacuated to a nearby military hospital, where the Major later succumbed to injuries.

The official said a team of army men and officials immediately rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

When asked who had planted the IED, he said, "It was apparently planted by enemy forces within our territory". The official added that a search operation had been launched along the LoC in Nowshera sector to search for more explosives.

Meanwhile, Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire and fired on army positions using small arms in Nowshera sector at around 4 pm.

The official added that the Indian army gave a befitting response to the ceasefire violation and targeted Pakistani army posts and positions.