Srinagar, July 5 (IANS) The Indian army has handed back a boy from Pakistani Kashmir who had inadvertently crossed the Line of Control (LoC), a defence official said on Sunday.
“Army officials in Tangdhar sector handed over 11-year-old Sameer Kayani, son of Mohammad Rafiq of Laswa Athmuqam in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who had inadvertently crossed the LoC two days ago, to Pakistan Army officials,” said defence spokesman, Lt.Col. N.N. Joshi.
“The boy was handed over by the unit based at Tanghdar frontier area at Teetwal crossing point with new clothes and sweets for the family,” he added.
Lt.Col. Joshi said that soon after the boy was apprehended by the troops, the Indian army sent an urgent hotline message to the Pakistan side, informing them of the safety and well-being of Kayani along with a request for a flag meeting so that he could be repatriated and re-united with his family at the earliest.
He said the flag meeting was held at Teetwal on Saturday and Kayani handed over to representatives of the Pakistan army.