Jammu, May 27
After a year-long pause, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy artillery and mortar shelling from across Kargil, Dras and Batalik and more than 200 persons from Kaksar and adjoining areas have shifted to safer places.

A senior state government functionary, while referring to intermittent but heavy firing and shelling from across the Kargil, Uri, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, R.S. Pora, Samba and Kathua sectors, said “These are battles without the declaration of war.”

He said during the past one week, Pakistani troops fired at least 50,000 rounds from small arms and over 5,000 artillery and mortar shells on more than 100 border villages right from Kargil to Kathua. He said in the Pak firing and shelling, more than 20 civilians were killed and nearly 30 wounded. He said about 25,000 persons had migrated from the border villages of Poonch, Rajouri, Akhnoor, Samba, R.S. Pora during the past 10 days.

Defence Ministry officials said Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing and shelling from across Poonch, Nowshehra, Samba last night and today. In the Nowshehra area, three civilians were wounded.

From two villages in R.S. Pora, over 200 persons migrated to safer areas and the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, spent the whole night in setting up another camp for the border migrants.

Villages affected by the firing in Samba sector included Galard, Narainpur, Majra and in R.S. Pora sector Karotna, Harnawali.

Defence Ministry officials said the Indian troops destroyed more than 12 enemy bunkers across Samba, R.S. Pora Poonch and Nowshehra. They said 11 Pakistani soldiers were killed and wounded.

Several police officers, posted in border areas, said “It is a war-like situation and there is high tension on the borders. People in more than 200 border villages have started digging trenches to escape being hit by Pakistani mortar shells and fire from heavy calibre weapons”.

According to defence sources, Pakistani troops from 10 and 1 Corps opened heavy and unprovoked mortar fire on frontier positions at 10.30 p.m. last night, targeting forward Indian bunkers and isolated communication towers at the Jhalas, Shahpur and Kopri areas in the Poonch sector. This continued for about 40 minutes.

In retaliation, the Indian troops fired mortars from similar calibre guns and the fiery showdown continued for the next six hours, during which both sides fired more than 800 mortar shells on each other’s forward formations, they said.

In the retaliatory shelling, four Pakistani Regulars were killed and six of their bunkers destroyed as the Indian troops scored direct hits.

Peeved at the fierce Indian retaliation, Pakistani troops opened fire from 105 MM artillery guns in a bid to pin down the Indian soldiers on the Khari Karmara and Keri areas, targeting forward formations and military installations.

But here also, the Indian troops gave a befitting reply, silencing Pakistani guns. Thereafter, the Pakistani forces also fired about seven to eight rockets from the Hum Gujala and Sandua Posts across the LoC in the Poonch sector, but the rockets fell wayward, without causing any damage, the sources informed. In a bid to divert the attention of the Indians from Poonch, the Pakistani Regulars opened mortar fire on forward formations at the Jhangar, Kalaal and Laam areas in the Nowshehra sector in the Rajouri district at 8.30 a.m. today.