Jammu, Oct 23 (IANS): Border Security Force (BSF) trooper injured in Pakistan sniper firing on Friday on the international border in Kathua district, succumbed to critical injuries in the hospital on Sunday.

Police said the BSF constable, Gurnam Singh, who was injured in Pakistan sniper fire in Bobiya area of Hira Nagar sector of the international border on Friday, succumbed in the wee hours of Sunday morning at the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu city.

Following the sniper injury to their trooper, the BSF had launched an offensive in which, it claimed, seven Pakistan Rangers and a militant were killed on Friday.

Gurnam Singh belonged to Bhalesar village of R.S. Pura in Jammu district.

Mandeep Singh and Gurjeet Kour, brother and sister of the deceased trooper have alleged that despite a critical head injury, their brother was not shifted for specialised treatment to a neurological facility outside the state.

The BSF had said it was prepared to provide all assistance to its trooper and his family, but would go by medical advice regarding the shifting of the injured trooper to a hospital outside J&K.

Hundreds of villagers in Bhalesar village had been praying for recovery of the injured BSF trooper.