Pakistan forces deliberately targeting Indian civil population:BSF

Jammu: Pakistan’s border guarding paramilitary force Rangers, with the help of its army, is deliberately shelling Indian civilian areas which is a violation of international norms, BSF said here today.

BSF Inspector General D K Upadhyay said his force does not target civilian population of Pakistan and to buttress his point, he released a video clip showing targeting of a military post across the International Border, amid assertion that 14 Pakistani posts had been destroyed in retaliatory fire.

“We have replied and retaliated almost on all the posts where from the fire has come,” he said.

In Delhi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government will do whatever necessary “to protect the honour and prestige of the country.”

Addressing a press conference here amid escalation on the border, Upadhyay said Pakistan Rangers have violated ceasefire “countless” times in recent past and Pakistan Army is giving full support to its paramilitary force.

“Pakistani forces are firing heavy mortars deliberately towards Indian civilian areas. BSF never fires towards any Pakistani civilian area. We fire only towards military bunkers from where Pakistani forces fire. We have inflicted heavy damage on 14 Pakistani bunkers,” he said.

Pakistan has violated the “human rights and international norms” by targeting civilian areas, Upadhyay said, a day after 8 people, including two children and four women, were killed in Jammu province due to Pakistani shelling and firing.

The IG said if there has been any civilian casualty on the Pakistani side, it might be “collateral” damage since civil population lives very close to the military bunkers on that side.

To prove his point, he displayed a video clip of ‘Hand Held Thermal Imager’ (HHTI), showing BSF retaliating to a barrage of shelling with a specific assault decimating a Pakistani post.

Pakistan had yesterday claimed that its six civilians were killed in cross-border firing by Indian troops.

“Our accurate firing have resulted in huge damage to their bunkers and security posts.

BSF only targets the military establishments but not the civilian areas. It is duly verified from this video clip,” the BSF IG said.

“The Indian retaliation was measured and accurate, and aimed at military targets, rather than Pakistan civil population,” Upadhyay said.

He said “an accurate and coordinated fire assault by the BSF executed with complete precision, destroyed a number of Pakistani forward morchas and posts.” BSF had yesterday said it had destroyed 14 Pakistani posts.

“Inputs from sources reveal several casualties to Pakistani Rangers and serious damage to 14 Pakistani Rangers’ posts and numerous defence bunkers,” he said. .

To a question, the BSF IG said it is very difficult to ascertain the number of casualties on the Pakistani side “but I can surely say that the number of casualties on their side is very high because the accurate fire which you have seen in the video clip shows that if it hits a bunker, which is housing three securitymen, there is no possibility of anybody coming out of it.”

He said, “This is one such example we have given in the video clip. There are many more such firing assaults which we have done on the Pakistani posts.”

Upadhyay said BSF has “clear evidence which we have seen ourselves through technical gadgets” that 14 posts have been hit. “We have made these 14 BoPs (Border Outposts) as target, these have been almost decimated,” he added.

He said, “BSF is very particular and sincere towards human rights concerns and this is the reason that we only target military installations, military bunkers and not the civil population.

“Pakistan, on the other hand, is continuously making efforts to indulge in close quarter firing to help the infiltrators and terrorists to enter into Indian side,” Upadhyay said.

“BSF is fully prepared to give a befitting reply to any such attempt and this is the reason that we have already foiled a number of infiltration attempts by the terrorists by getting into Indian side,” he added.

He said Pakistan indulged in unprovoked and relentless firing all along the IB of Jammu in Ramgarh, Arnia and R S Pura sectors throughout the day yesterday.

“The dastardly attack that began at 6 AM in the morning of November 1, 2016 and continued till late afternoon, largely targeted our civilian populations in Indian border villages with heavy firing by automatic weapons and mortar shelling causing injuries and casualties to innocent civilians along the International Border of Jammu in Ramgarh, Arnia and R S Pura sectors,” he said.

“Two women and three children from amongst the border civil population succumbed to their injuries. 13 civilians have also been injured in intermittent firing out of which the condition of three remains critical,” Upadhyay added.

He said Pakistan continues to pursue the strategy of unprovoked cross border firing and shelling to push infiltrators.

BSF has foiled 5 infiltration bids along IB in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district since October 20-21 night.

“Since the forced infiltration was foiled on the intervening night of October 20 and 21, five infiltration bids have been foiled and a total of 14 infiltration bids were foiled this year…out of them, three bids have been made close to Diwali night,” he said.

But Pakistan is continuously making efforts to help the terrorists to enter into Indian side, the IG said.

To a question, he said there is no proof of artillery being used by the Pakistani forces.

SP among 100 injured in Kashmir clashes

Srinagar: At least 100 people, including a Superintendent of Police (SP) and 35 other security personnel, were injured today in clashes between stone-pelting mobs and law enforcing agencies in different parts of Kashmir valley, officials said.

The intense clashes took place in Soura area in the outskirts of Srinagar after police tried to arrest some youth allegedly involved in disturbing law and order, leaving 80 people including SP Hazratbal and 35 other securitymen injured, they said.

Among the civilians injured, three received pellet injures while another was hit by a tear-smoke shell during the clashes which continued throughout the day, the officials said.

The clashes broke out when police, assisted by paramilitary forces, launched a cordon and search operation to nab some youth in Anchar locality of Soura, they said.

Commenting on the incident, a police spokesman said “miscreants in large numbers pelted stones heavily upon the deployments at Anchar-Soura resulting in grievous injuries to SP Hazratbal and 35 other police and security forces personnel.

“While dealing with the law and order in the area, three civilians who were part of the mob also sustained injuries.

They were shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment. The condition of all of them is stated to be stable,” the spokesman said.

He said a Deputy Superintendent of Police was injured during another clash which took place between stone-pelting protesters and security forces at Tarzoo village of Sopore township in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

However, officials said 15 people were hurt in the clashes during which police fired dozens of teargas shells and used batons to restore law and order.

In Shopian district of south Kashmir, the spokesman said miscreants pelted stones on police and security forces deployed at Dachoo, Rabben, Nagbal and Sugan during the day.

Police chased the protesters, using mild force, he said.

However, officials said at least five persons sustained minor injuries in the clashes.

PTI