5 injured in Pak firing on villages, posts in Jammu
JAMMU: At least five people suffered injuries and four cattle were killed as Pakistan Rangers shelled over 20 Indian villages, and over a dozen BSF posts along the 198km long International Border in Arnia sub-sector of Jammu district, on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
On Thursday evening, Pakistan opened heavy fire for the second time. A senior BSF officer said that at about 6:30pm, Pakistan Rangers suddenly started unprovoked heavy firing and also shot 82mm mortars targeting villages and BSF posts in Arnia Sector of Jammu.“bsf is retaliating strongly,” he said.
An intelligence official said that BSF’S assistant commandant Gaurav Drall suffered injuries in the firing but the BSF denied any such incident.
According to reports, Pakistan Army also violated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba Sector on Thursday.
Meanwhile, India retaliated in equal measure and the heavy exchanges between the two sides ended around 10am. The shelling from Pakistan also left scores of cattle injured, and many houses in the Arnia sub-sector pockmarked. Jora Farm village, predominantly inhabited by nomadic Gujjars bore the maximum brunt.
Three among the five injured have been identified as Pummy Devi, 35, her husband Kishori Lal, 40 of Pindi Kathar village and Gurdev Singh, 20 of Kol Khurd. As a precautionary measure, the state government has shut all schools within five km radius of the international border. Following the shelling by Pakistan, 50 schools have been shut in Arnia sector alone.
“Pakistan Rangers started unprovoked firing and shelling targeting Indian posts, around midnight on Wednesday, a day after killing an Indian soldier along the Line of Control (LOC) in Kupwara sector. The gun duel lasted till Thursday morning,” said a senior BSF officer.
Arnia tehsildar,gupreet Singh, told Hindustan Times that administration along with the police deployed BP vehicles to evacuate the villagers from forward villages to the safer areas.
“Arnia town, Pindi Charakan Kalan, Kathar, Trewa, Jabowal and Jora Farm bore the maximum brunt of Pakistan shelling. Over 20 villages were affected by the shelling,” he said.
The government has set up relief camps at Salehar, Deoli, Reyal and Laswara where arrangements for food, water and electricity have been made, he informed.
Balbir Ram, a resident of Kathar feared that the skirmishes, which started last Thursday in Arnia sub-sector, may not abate and the Pakistan Rangers may stretch it till Diwali festival.
The 198km long international border that passes through Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts till Akhnoor is predominantly inhabited by Hindus, Sikhs and other communities.
THE SHELLING FROM PAKISTAN ALSO LEFT MANY HOUSES IN THE ARNIA SUBSECTOR POCKMARKED. JORA FARM VILLAGE, INHABITED BY NOMADIC GUJJARS BORE THE MAXIMUM BRUNT.