LoC crossing: Both armies play it down

Given the sensitivity on either side, the armies of India and Pakistan today clarified that Indian jawans, who crossed over to PoK in the Uri sector yesterday to help clear debris, did not reconstruct Pakistani bunkers.

The Army said the jawans decided to help after the Pakistan army sought their help just metres away from the Aman Setu. ‘‘There is a lot of damage in PoK. Our men went across with picks and shovels to assist the Pakistani soldiers in clearing some debris,’’ an Army spokesperson said today. ‘‘There is no way that we would help them in reconstructing bunkers.’’

A Colonel in the Valley had said yesterday that the Army helped reconstruct bunkers.

The Army statement came after Pak military spokesperson Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, called reports of joint reconstruction of Pakistani bunkers as ‘‘baseless and untrue’’.