India on Thursday said it will take up the killing of a Border Security Force personnel two days ago with Pakistan in an “appropriate manner”, PTI reported. The soldier, identified as head constable Narender Singh, was found with his throat slit and multiple bullet injuries in the Jammu region near the International Border on Tuesday.

“We are ascertaining the facts on this matter...I can say [it is] a barbaric incident which not only defies logic, not only defies civilised behaviour, but is also against all international norms,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Kumar said the Border Security Force has registered a strong protest with Pakistan Rangers over the incident. The BSF called the act “unsoldierly”, PTI quoted unidentified officials as saying.

“A brief phone call talk took place between the two sides this noon. When it was brought to the notice of Pakistan that they had killed the jawan by resorting to unprovoked fire, they flatly refused any hand of their troops in the incident,” an official said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has directed the BSF to take the strongest possible action against the Pakistani troops, unidentified officials told the news agency.

Officials have issued a “high alert” along the International Border and the Line of Control following the incident.