Pakistan troops target India at various places along IB, LoC

Jammu

Pakistani troops today pounded a number of places along the International Border and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region with heavy firing and mortars, leaving four persons injured and triggering fear among the villagers, officials said.

India lodged a protest with Pakistan while the Indian troops retaliated “effectively” to the cross-border firing which came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu tomorrow.

The army early this morning also foiled an infiltration bid along the LoC in Poonch district by a group of militants trying to enter the Indian side, the defence spokesman said.

BSF officials said Pak Rangers have increased the arch of firing and shelling from Kanachak-Akhnoor sector to RS Pura sector now.

“Pakistani Rangers resorted to small arms firing and mortar shelling along IB in R S Pura sector of Jammu district since 0115 hours today,” a BSF officer said.

They targeted five border outposts (BoPs) and some civilian areas in RS Pura and Tawi forward belts, firing 81 mm mortar shells around 0350 hours, he said.

“BSF troops guarding the border line retaliated effectively and the firing exchange continued till 0530 hours today,” he said adding four persons were injured in Brewa village.

The Pakistan army also violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector, firing at various posts of the Indian army, an army officer said.

He said the Pakistan army used small arms and mortar shells to target Indian positions on this side of the LoC.

The Indian side retaliated to the fire.

According to government sources, India lodged protest both in Islamabad as well as in Delhi over the incident.

“Our High Commissioner in Islamabad raised the issue with the Pakistan Foreign Office and Pakistan High Commissioner in Delhi was also conveyed India’s concerns regarding ceasefire violation in which one woman was killed and some people injured,” they said in Delhi. .

Due to firing and shelling, fear has returned to haunt the border residents in Jammu who were hopeful that the recently held talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Russia would bring peace dividends for them.

Troops guarding the border also foiled an infiltration attempt in Poonch as they fired upon a group of militants who were trying to sneak in, the defence spokesman said.

There have been nine ceasefire violations during July. A woman, Poli Devi, was killed and six others, including two BSF jawans, were injured yesterday in firing and mortar shelling in Jammu district by Pakistan Rangers.

On July 9, Pakistani troops fired at a forward border post in North Kashmir killing a BSF jawan, an incident that came on the eve of talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Russia.

The latest round of firing comes ahead of Modi’s scheduled visit Jammu tomorrow to attend the centenary celebrations of former state Finance Minister Girdhari Lal Dogra.

Dwellers along IB in Jammu shell-shocked amid fresh firings

From Tejinder Singh Sodhi 
R S Pura (IB)

Residents along the International Border (IB) here in Jammu, who were hopeful of reaping dividends of the latest peace talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Russia, were left shell-shocked amid a fresh spurt in ceasefire violations.

“All our hopes have been shattered, the border residents suffer whenever there is a ceasefire violation from across the border,” said Sham Lal, a resident of R S Pura.

The mainstay profession of majority people in this frontier sector on the IB is farming and occurrence of a ceasefire violation at a time when they were transplanting paddy crop has put them in a fix.

“Our sustenance depends on farming and it is the season of transplanting paddy plants but now we are afraid to venture into our fields, as we don’t know when we would become a target of Pakistani fire” said Prem Singh, a resident of Abdullian village of R S Pura sector.

Pakistani Rangers today indulged in heavy firing and mortar shelling on five border outposts (BoPs) and some villages in Jammu district which left four persons injured, a day after a woman was killed in the ceasefire violations prompting India to lodge protest with Pakistan.

According to a BSF official, “Pakistani Rangers resorted to small arms firing and mortar shelling along IB in R S Pura sector of Jammu district since 0115 hours today.” 

They targeted five BoPs and some civilian areas in R S Pura and Tawi forward belts, the official said adding that Pakistani Rangers fired 81 mm mortar shells at around 0350 hours.

Several households along the IB here sustained damages in the overnight mortar-shelling from across the border, local residents said.

“You can clearly see the damage caused by the Pakistani mortar shells that landed into our courtyard, we are thankful to God that nobody was hurt or killed in our family,” said Puran Chand, while pointing towards the shattered windowpanes of his house.

Several village dwellers in this sector have started migrating to safer locations while many others are planning to migrate at the earliest.

“Some of the villagers have migrated to safer places while others will move be moving shortly,” Chand said.

Meanwhile, Jammu administration has appealed to the border dwellers to move to safer places to save them from the cross-border firing.

“Though the firing has stopped by now, it started last night and continued till morning today, four civilians were injured in the Pakistani firing. Several houses were also damaged in the Abdullian sector which was the worst affected,” Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh told PTI.

“We are not forcing as yet but we made an appeal to the people to move to safer areas as the situation continues to be volatile on the border,” he said adding that some of the families have already shifted to safety.

The latest ceasefire violation foiled by the BSF, Singh said, was an attempt to provide cover fire to a group of infiltrators who were planning to cross into the Indian side.

“It was an infiltration attempt which the BSF has foiled, Pakistani rangers were giving a cover fire to the infiltrators,” he said.

There have been nine ceasefire violations in the month of July so far.

A woman named Poli Devi, was killed and six others, including two BSF jawans, were injured yesterday in firing and mortar shelling in Jammu district by Pakistan Rangers.

The residents here, meanwhile, have kept their fingers crossed praying that the ceasefire violations do not escalate and they resume normal life.

“Our livelihood depends on farming and this is the peak season, we hope and pray this ceasefire violation ends, so that we can continue with our routine life” said Manjeet Singh, a resident of Abdullian.

PTI