After a brief lull of less than 36 hours, Pakistani Rangers again resorted to heavy firing in Samba and Hiranagar sectors late Friday evening.
Sources said that firing from across the border started at Mullu Chak, Ballad, Pansar, Bobiyan, Manyari and Pahadpur areas around 9.30 pm. The BSF retaliated and the exchange of fire between the two sides was continuing till reports last came in.
The details were awaited as civil and police officials were unable to go to the areas affected by firing as headlights of vehicles was bound to make them easy target of shelling from across the border pp.
This has been the eighth ceasefire violation during the past one week.
Though there had been no reports of any civilian casualty or damage to property, Kathua Deputy Commissioner Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary along with senior officers rushed to Hiranagar to assess the situation.
“As it is not possible to go to areas affected by Pakistani shelling during night, we have advised people to stay indoors and keep their lights off,” Choudhary told The Indian Express.
Ambulances and doctors have been deputed at Hiranagar for responding to emergencies and three buildings have been made operational as relief camps keeping in view the volatile situation prevailing in the area, he pointed out.
“Evacuation will be initiated early morning in areas where required as headlights of vehicles was bound to attract Rangers during night,” he added.
All Sarpanchs, Panchs, Lumbderdars, Chowkidars and prominent persons in 57 border villages have been issued advisory telephonically for communicating to public regarding safety measures.
A day earlier, India had given a stern reply to Pakistan’s repeated ceasefire violations along the International Border by killing its five personnel and destroying a militant camp, Islamabad on Thursday made desperate attempts to contact the director general of military operations (DGMO) and the defence secretary in New Delhi to ease the situation, sources said.
India’s response was part of a well-planned strategy to attack outposts of the Pakistan Rangers after a BSF constable was killed on Wednesday morning while he was patrolling with his team as part of an agreed border defence mechanism between the two countries.
The heavy firing by the Rangers appears to be a bid to help armed terrorists sneak into the Indian territory from launching pads on the other side of the border. Suspecting that nearly 50 to 60 terrorists were camping at launching pads in Pakistan, Inspector General of BSF (Jammu zone) Rakesh Sharma said that the paramilitary force would register a “strong protest’’ with the Rangers over fresh incidents of ceasefire violation along the IB.
To check infiltration, security has been intensified along the border, he said, adding that over a dozen BSF border outposts were affected by firing from across the border.
The latest skirmishes along the IB started after BSF in Arnia sector continued…
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