Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

BSF destroys Pak mortar positions, kills intruder

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria letters@hindustant­imes.com

JAMMU: The Border Security Force killed an intruder in RS Pura area of Jammu district and destroyed two mortar positions of the Pakistan army across the border on Thursday, a day after one of its head constable was killed in sniper fire from the neighbouri­ng country.

A senior BSF officer said Pakistan started the unprovoked fire with small arms, which later was accompanie­d with mortar shellings. The force then targeted and destroyed two Pakistani mortar positions, he added.

“The Border Security Force gave a solid response in which Pakistan’s infrastruc­ture, solar panel and weapons were damaged. Their posts suffered a major loss,” the forces’ Jammu Frontier inspector general Ramawtar said. Head constable RP Hazra was injured on Wednesday, his birthday, and was rushed to a nearby medical facility, but he succumbed to the injuries.

Official sources said the infiltrati­on bid was foiled at Budhwar area of Arnia subsector where the infiltrato­r was killed by alert BSF troopers. The senior BSF officer said its troopers detected an intruder in RS Pura area in the morning despite dense fog and neutralise­d him around 7am.

“The complete area has been cordoned off. The search will commence after the fog clears,” he said. According to sources, the body of the intruder has been recovered. The BSF is maintainin­g extra vigil on the Jammu internatio­nal border to negate all sorts of intrusion attempts aided by Pakistani forces, the officer said. Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement with India 882 times last year along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Thirty people — 14 army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel — were killed in the ceasefire violations.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiralled, with New Delhi crying foul over the treatment of the family of death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav.

 ?? NITIN KANOTRA/HT ?? Border Security Force IG Ram Awtar paying homage to BSF head constable RP Hazra, who was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistan on Wednesday.
NITIN KANOTRA/HT Border Security Force IG Ram Awtar paying homage to BSF head constable RP Hazra, who was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistan on Wednesday.

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