Pak resumes firing, 5 hurt, camps come up in Jammu
SKIRMISHES Shelling started late Sunday, hours after Pakistan ‘pleaded’ BSF for a ceasefire JAMMU:
Four civilians and a policeman were injured as Pakistani forces resumed firing in Arnia and Ramgarh area of RS Pura sector in Jammu and Samba districts Monday morning after a brief lull in the night.
The Pakistani forces had late Sunday opened fire in Narayanpur and Baba Chamliyal areas in Ramgarh sector of Samba district, hours after it “pleaded” with the Border Security Force (BSF) for a ceasefire.
Confirming the injuries to the civilians and an officer, a policeman said Pakistan has been using 80mm and 120mm mortar shells — flat trajectory battalion level weapons — on residential areas and nearby villages”.
Two civilians, Darshana Devi and Mohinder Kumar of Pindi Charkan Kalan, were shifted to the hospital around 9.30am. The injured policeman has been identified as SPO Gurcharan Singh.
“As a precautionary measure, schools within the radius of 5km have been ordered closed. No loss of life has been reported so far,” said additional deputy commissioner Dr Arun Manhas.
A senior BSF officer said that Pakistan started firing mortars in the general area of Arnia around 7am on Monday. BSF posts Vikram, Chinaz and Jabowal were among the affected, he said, adding that other areas too may come under similar fire.
On May 15, BSF constable Devendra Singh Baghel was killed in Pakistani firing in Manguchak area of Samba; on Friday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state, BSF constable Sita Ram Upadhyaya was among five killed in Arnia and RS Pura sectors. The intense firing reportedly forced about 10,000 people move out of their homes to safer areas. The Jammu administration has set up six camps in RS Pura and Bishnah.
THIRD DAY OF RESTRICTIONS IN KASHMIR
on Monday imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to thwart a proposed rally by separatists on the death anniversaries of two Hurriyat leaders even as life was affected in rest of the Kashmir valley due to a shutdown.
Separatist leaders under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) had called for a shutdown and urged people to gather at Mazar-e-Shuhada (the mar- tyrs’ graveyard) in Srinagar’s Eidgah to commemorate the death anniversaries of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone.
Shops, businesses and educational institutes were closed while public transport movement was negligible. All Kashmir University examinations scheduled for the day were postponed.
This is third day of restrictions in old city since Saturday when Modi was in Kashmir to inaugurate some projects.
SRINAGAR:Authorities