Jawan, girl killed in Pak shelling
BORDER FIRE 25 villages targeted in Jammu and Samba districts; 6 locals injured, villagers shifted to makeshift camps in safer areas
JAMMU: A Border Security Force (BSF) head constable and a 17-year-old girl died and six villagers were injured after Pakistan rained mortars and opened heavy weapons fire at Indian villages and posts along the International Border (IB) in Arnia and Ramgarh sub sectors of Jammu and Samba districts respectively through Wednesday night.
The heavy exchanges between BSF and Pakistan Rangers that began on Wednesday midnight continued till 8.30 am on Thursday.
The deceased jawan and the girl have been identified as Head Constable A Suresh Kumar and Neelam Kumari aka Sweety.
BSF Jammu Frontier IG Ram Awtar said BSF retaliated strongly to the unprovoked firing and shelling.
The 1976-born Head Constable Suresh joined BSF in 1995. He hailed from Tamil Nadu. He is survived by a 13-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.
Arnia SHO Sunil Kumar said that around 8.30 am on Thursday, a Pakistani mortar shell exploded in a field in Pindi Charakan village in Arnia where the girl had gone to relieve herself.
She died instantly, he added. Tehsildar of Arnia tehsil, Gurpreet Singh said, the girl identified as Neelam aka Sweety, daughter of Satpal, had come to her uncle's house from Dayalachak to attend a family function.
ALERT ISSUED N JAMMU BORDER AREAS
Singh informed that on Wednesday night, Pakistan shelling also injured four villagers, who have been identified as Ramesh Chander, Chanchala Devi, Darshan Lal and Ramesh Lal, all residents of ward number 13 of Arnia Town.
He informed that over 25 villages were targeted by Pakistan.
A police officer from Samba said that overnight shelling in Ramgarh sector also left two villagers injured. They have been identified as Suresh Kumar and Puneet Choudhary of Kamore village.
WE’RE PEACE LOVING BUT HAVE THE RIGHT TO RETALIATE: BSF DG
The BSF’S director general KK Sharma said on Thursday the situation along the Line of Control and International Border was “tense” but the paramilitary force was “more than prepared”.
“We don’t initiate first fire but if provoked, we strongly retaliate. The martyrdom of head constable A Suresh won’t go waste,” Sharma said. Commenting on increasing truce violations by Pakistan recently, Sharma said India is a peace loving nation and doesn’t want to create a war-like situation.
“We are more than prepared to foil infiltration attempts and respond to ceasefire violations,” he added.
The DG said that he has asked officers on the ground to retaliate with full force and teach Pakistan a lesson.