Top Indian Official Killed in Pakistani Strike Near LoC: Rising Tensions Threaten Regional Stability
In a significant escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, Raj Kumar Thappa, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Addl. DC) of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, has died from injuries sustained during a precision strike reportedly launched by Pakistani forces. The incident took place near the Line of Control (LoC) in the volatile Rajouri sector, an area long marked by conflict and military engagements between the two nuclear-armed nations.
According to preliminary reports from local administrative sources, Thappa was conducting a routine inspection near a coordination point between civilian infrastructure and army logistics when the targeted attack occurred. Eyewitnesses claim that a series of coordinated artillery and drone strikes were launched by Pakistani forces, allegedly targeting Indian army installations and support personnel in the region. One of the blasts struck close to a forward base where the Additional DC was located, causing fatal injuries.
Thappa was airlifted to the Command Hospital in Udhampur, where he succumbed to his wounds despite intensive medical care.
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This attack has stirred national outrage in India, with senior officials calling it an “unprovoked act of aggression.” India’s Ministry of External Affairs has summoned Pakistan’s envoy in New Delhi and issued a formal diplomatic protest. The Indian Army, meanwhile, has vowed a “firm and proportional response” to the loss of one of its senior civilian officers operating in a conflict-sensitive zone.
Background of Recent Escalation
The Indo-Pak border has seen a significant spike in military activity over the past two weeks. Pakistani sources claim their operations are a response to repeated ceasefire violations by India and alleged infrastructure build-up near sensitive sectors. Conversely, India insists its activities are purely defensive.
Since 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three major wars—in 1947, 1965, and 1971—alongside the Kargil conflict in 1999, which took place in the same region where this recent attack occurred.
Tensions had temporarily eased after a ceasefire agreement in February 2021. However, the death of Raj Kumar Thappa now threatens to derail ongoing diplomatic backchannels and may further inflame military tensions in South Asia.
