Jammu: Retaliating to the fresh ceasefire violation by Pakistan Rangers on Friday, Border Security Force (BSF) had killed seven Pakistani Rangers and a terrorist, while district administration had shifted 323 families on the International Border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. One BSF jawan was injured in the cross firing.
Giving further details, BSF spokesman said “today at about 9.35 AM, Pakistan targeted a duty mound of BSF in Hira Nagar Sector of Bobiya BoP (Kathua district) and seriously injured young and brave Constable Gurnam Singh.”
Gurnam, a resident of Bhaleshar-Magowali in R S Pura tehsil of Jammu, was mainly instrumental in repulsing infiltration on the intervening night of October 19-20, BSF spokesman said.
Singh, whose condition is considered to be critical, was evacuated with the cover fire to Government Medical College, Jammu.
Pakistani Rangers also started unprovoked fire in Kathua, Samba and Paragwal sectors of Jammu and befitting and caliberated reply was given by brave BSF troops, he said.
“Pak Rangers also used heavy 82 MM mortar fire in Hiranagar sector and equally retaliated by BSF and firing stopped at 5.00PM,” the spokesman said.
“Though one brave soldier of BSF sufferred serious injury, morale of troops is very high to counter and defeat any type of activities and aggression from Pak side,” he said.
Pakistan Rangers resorted to sniper attacks at Indian posts at Hira Nagar in Kathua at around 9.35 AM, BSF said.
Border Security Force launched an aggressive offensive against the Pakistani firing, BSF said in a release, adding seven Rangers and a terrorist were shot dead in the retaliatory firing.
Seeking to suggest that the killings had been corroborated by Pakistani media, the BSF said “source input” claimed that a media organisation in that country was running a news item about death of five Rangers.
STATE TIMES correspondent from KATHUA reports : In the wake of heavy firing on the residential areas by the Pak Rangers, 323 families have been shifted back to the safer areas.
Of the 323 families, 173 families have been sheltered in seven schools including Government Degree College Hiranagar, Government Higher Secondary School (HSS) Hiranagar, HSS Chadwal, HSS Madeen, Middle School Gadyal, Middle School Khanpur and Middle School Chhan Khatrian while 150 have been shifted to their relatives. Proper medical facilities and food arrangements have been made in these camps.
District Development Commissioner (DCC) Kathua Romesh Kumar along with ACR Jatinjder Mishra, SSP Pawan Parihar, Additional SP Khalil Poswal, SDM Sohan Lal and Tehsildar Gourav Sharma visited the area and the camps and issued suitable instructions for making available all the required facilities to these families.
The DDC has stopped the leave of all Govt employees of the district. All the schools on Zero line and those schools and colleges where the camps have been established, will remain closed till further orders.
According to the reports received last, one constable namely Gurnam Singh of 173 Battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) has been injured during firing by the Pak Rangers besides the killings of large number of cattle. The injured Jawan was immediately shifted to District Hospital Kathua, but due to his serious condition due to head injury, he has been shifted to Government Medical College Hospital Jammu.
Shelling in RS Pura, Rajouri too
JAMMU: Pakistan Rangers again violated ceasefire along the International Border (IB) in RS Pura and in Rajouri by resorting to small arms fire late Friday night.
“Small arms bursts are beings fired by Pakistan Rangers in Abdullian village in the Suchetgarh sector in RS Pura,” Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said.
He said people have been advised to stay indoors and so far no relief camps have been set up and the situation will be monitored for the next 18 hours.
A BSF officer said the jawans were giving befitting reply to Pakistan Rangers. Heavy mortar fire is on in Khorinari area of Manjakot, Tarkundi.