4 BSF personnel killed in Pak firing

Four Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, including an assistant commandantrank officer, were killed and three others were injured as Pakistan Rangers opened fire along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir in "betrayal" of a truce announced recently, officials said on Wednesday.

The "unprovoked" firing in Ramgarh sector, which began last night, came days after the two border guarding forces, at a sector commander-level meeting on June 4, agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity along the IB.

"Since the ceasefire was on...the time we use to strengthen our defences. A team was going with defence material, Pakistan violated the ceasefire and fire at them with flat trajectory weapon followed by mortar firing. That is how the causality has taken place," Additional Director General (ADG) of BSF, Western Command, K N Chaubey, told reporters here.

Another team of the BSF led by Assistant Commandant Jitender Singh rushed to evacuate them and a mortar fired from Pakistan's Asraf Post exploded close to them at Chamliyal Border Out Post, resulting in fatal causalities, he said.

The BSF ADG said that it was very unfortunate and "the ceasefire announcement made and agreed is to be honoured".

Assistant Commandant Jitender Singh, SI Rajneesh, ASI Ramniwas and Constable Hansraj were killed in the Pakistani firing.