STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: As military confrontation increased on the border, two civilians were killed in Jammu region of India in cross-border shelling and firing overnight even as BSF on Friday claimed to have killed 15 Pakistani soldiers over the last one week.
BSF, which primarily guards the International Border with Pakistan, said it had also foiled two infiltration bids in Samba district two days back. Besides, BAT (Border Action Team) attacks from Pakistani side along the Line of Control have also been thwarted during the past 24 hours.
Firing mortar shells and using automatic weapons, Pakistani troops targeted civilian areas and forward security posts along the International Border and Line of Control in Jammu, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
“At 5.20 PM on Thursday, Pakistan Rangers started unprovoked heavy firing and shelling in Kathua sector of Jammu which further spread to Hiranagar and Samba. It continued till 5.00 AM on Friday in the area of 24 BSF posts,” a senior BSF officer said.
“In the Pakistani shelling, one civilian died in Khour belt of Pallanwala sector on Friday,” Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh said, adding another civilian was injured in R S Pura sector.
Similarly, one woman Usma Bi, aged 50 years, was killed in shelling by Pakistan on Gohlad village in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district, Defence spokesman said.
Another civilian was injured in area, the reports said.
BSF Additional Director General Arun Kumar said as per the ammunition used, it seems Pakistani Army Army is backing the Rangers and has taken over the posts of paramilitary force, which is further cause of escalation.
Kumar, who laid wreath at the moral remains of the BSF martyr Head Constable Jitendra Singh here, said “they (Pakistani side) are resorting to heavy firing and shelling and we are giving them befitting reply.”
He said BSF has inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani side.
“As far the number of casualities on other side is concerned, which our men have seen through our eyes and instruments, 15 Pakistani soldiers have been killed after the sniping incident of Constable Gurnam Singh (on October 21),” he said. Gurnam was injured in the sniper firing and then succumbed to the injuries.
“They (Pakistani side) have suffered damage but are hiding them in public domain and they do not accept it. Last night we have destroyed their OP (observation post) towers and some OP towers caught fire due to our firing,” Kumar said.
He said Pakistani Rangers, Pakistani regulars and civilian population on their side have suffered heavy damage because of the Indian retaliation. “The damage to civilian population is much more (than us)… We have seen large number of ambulances coming and picking up injured. They have been making announcements from mosques asking people to assemble for last rites. All that points that they suffered a lot,” the BSF officer said.
“Their (Pakistani) OPs (observation posts) have been raised to the ground. Their civilian population has also been hit. We do not fire on populations,” the BSF ADG said.
“We have lost three jawans. Two of our jawans are injured. One civilian has lost his life and 15 are injured,” he added.
Giving further details about the Pakistani regulars backing Rangers in firing, Kumar said, “the arms and ammunition they fire at us, it confirms that Pakistani regulars have taken over as posts and are supporting Pakistani Rangers… 120 mm mortars are being used which we take a clue that regulars are supporting them.”
He said heavy firing and shelling is taking place for the last one week since the death of Gurnam in sniper fire.
“On 19-20 October night when they (Pakistani troops) forced militants to infiltrate to this side, and later the next day sniped our Constable Gurnam Singh, since then the incident of firing and shelling have increased by them and we are giving befitting reply,” he said. The ADG said that in the process BSF lost third man.
“It is a sad moment for us that we have lost 3rd jawan in the firing last night, Head Constable Jitendra Singh, who was on duty, when a stray bullet hit his lever resulting in his death,” he said.
“We want peace to prevail… But if they (Pakistan) violate ceasefire, we will be forced to give a befitting reply,” BSF officer said.
He added, “There have been two infiltration bids by armed militants a day before. We had seen the movement of the militants and resorted to firing forcing them to flee.” The infiltration bid was foiled in Samba district along IB. “They (Pakistani forces) is engineering infiltrations (of armed militants),” Kumar said.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh has expressed grief and sorrow over the killings of civilians in the ongoing cross-border firing.
In a condolence message, the Deputy Chief Minister conveyed his sympathies to the members of the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls.
Jawan martyred, body
mutilated in cross-LoC attack
Srinagar: In a “barbaric” incident, terrorists, aided by the cover fire by Pakistani Army, on Friday night crossed the Line of Control and killed an Indian army jawan and mutilated his body in Macchil sector of Kupwara district of Kashmir.
One attacker was killed in the incident which the Indian army said will be “responded to appropriately”.
“In an encounter close to the Line of Control this evening, one solider was martyred and one terrorist was killed. The terrorists mutilated the body of the jawan before fleeing back into Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir under the cover of firing by Pakistan Army,” an army spokesman said.
He said the incident reflected the barbarism pervading in official and unofficial organisations in Pakistan.
“The incident will be responded to appropriately,” he added.
Pak guns increasingly target civilians
Arnia: Pakistani troops are pounding border hamlets with heavy mortar shells to especially target civilians in the latest round of ceasefire violations by the neighbouring country.
In the past four days, a six-year old boy and a man have been killed and 24 civilians injured while over 60 cattle have perished and 200 cattle left injured in firing by Pakistani troops. Scores of houses and other structures along the IB in Jammu district are riddled with ammunition from across the border.
The situation worsens during nighttime as villagers struggle to find a safe place to escape from the gunfire.
“Pakistani troops are now increasingly targeting civilians. They are resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing targeting our houses and animals,” says Subash Chander of village Suchetgarh said. Subash, whose seven family members were injured as shells exploded in the compound of his house close to IB in Suchetgarh, said the Pakistani troops rain mortar bomb shells and fire from automatic weapons targeting civilians. “We are sitting ducks for the Pakistani troops, who find civilian targets and their properties to target after they failed to fight with BSF troops,” he said.
The firing from across the border had intensified from October 21 when BSF killed seven Pak Rangers and a terrorist in retaliatory firing. Many people from border hamlets in R S Pura, Arnia, Hiranagar, and Pargwal sectors have fled their homes and taken shelter in migrant camps set up by the state government at safer places. “As the shell landed in our compound, there was a deafening blast and splinters injured us mostly in legs. All were lying in blood,” Subash’s wife Kamlesh Devi said.
