JAMMU: After a brief lull, Pakistan on Saturday violated ceasefire twice along International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Jammu Districts, drawing strong retaliation from India.
“Flat trajectory weaponry fire came at 8.10 PM in our area of Operation in three Border Out Posts (BOPs) along International Border (IB) in Arnia sector of Jammu District tonight,” BSF Spokesman said.
He said that BSF troops retaliated and intermittent fire of small arms continued from both the sides till late in the night.
Earlier in the day, Pak troops resorted to firing on forward Indian posts along LoC in Banwat sector of Poonch District from 1:00 PM, a senior Army officer said.
Ceasefire violation in Shahpur, Kerani Sector, started at 12:40 PM. Indian troops guarding the border promptly retaliated resulting in heavy exchange of fire which was underway till late tonight when last reports came from the area, he said. There was no loss of life on our side, the officer said.
The last instance of firing by Pakistan along the 192-km International Border was when its Rangers targeted four BSF Border Out Posts (BOP) in Hiranagar sector of Kathua District for 20 minutes on Friday night.
The IB has witnessed heavy firing from 1st-9th October that has left eight persons dead and 90 people injured, including 13 securitymen.
Besides over 32,000 people have fled from their border homes leaving 113 hamlets deserted along the IB.
India and Pakistan troops traded heavy fire along the IB on the intervening night of 7th and 8th October after Pakistan Rangers shelled almost the entire IB by targeting 60 Border Out Posts (BOPs) and over 130 border hamlets in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of J&K, in which 15 people including 3 BSF jawans were injured. Pakistani Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing from small arms and automatic weapons on border out posts and civilian areas along the IB in Arnia sub-sector in Jammu district from around 8:30 PM late last night,” a BSF officer said here today.
BSF troops guarding the borderline along IB took positions and retaliated to the Pakistani firing which resulted in intermittent exchanges of fire, he said.
This is the third ceasefire violation in less than 48 hours and the first along IB after an agreement to observe peace along the border between BSF and Pak Rangers at the Commandant level flag meeting at Octerio BOP in R.S Pura belt of Jammu district on August 8 during which one captured jawan was handed over to BSF by Pak Rangers. PTI
