BSF jawan among 2 injured in Pak shelling along IB

JAMMU: A BSF jawan and a civilian were injured and four cattle were also killed after Pakistan Rangers opened heavy fire and shot mortars targeting nearly 15 Indian posts at forward villages along the international border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday night, prompting BSF to retaliate in equal measure.

In Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, Pakistan started firing around 8pm and adjoining Samba district they started around midnight, said a BSF officer.

The injured have been identified as constable Pravin Kumar Mishra of 80 battalion and Daulat Ram, 38, of Londi village.

The BSF jawan was hit on left side of his abdomen at Regal border outpost in Samba and Daulat Ram was hit in his left leg at Londi in Hiranagar. Both of them have been hospitalised.

Kathua deputy commissioner Rohit Khajuria said that Pakistan opened heavy fire last night in Londi and Bobbiya area of Hiranagar in which a man Daulat Ram was injured.

“Four cattle also died in Pak firing. As a contingency plan we have placed two bunkers (Casper vehicles) for shifting the villagers to four makeshift camps at safer places. Schools within five km radius of the border remained shut today,” he said.

Khajuria said that the administration was fully alert to the situation.

The areas affected in the two districts in overnight Pak shelling included Regal, Chalyari, Chachwal, Maguchak, Suchetgarh, Bobbiya, Londi, Karol Katav, Manyari and Chann Lal Din. Defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said that searches were on since then but there has been no clue as of now.