BSF man dies in Pak shelling

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 27

Hours after a Border Security Force head constable was killed in firing by Pakistan in the RS Pura sector this morning, the BSF killed one Pakistan Ranger and injured another in retaliatory fire.

As shelling and firing from the Pakistani side continued this morning, BSF Head Constable Jitender Kumar of Raxual village in Bihar received a splinter injury at the Abdullian border outpost in the RS Pura sector.

On way to hospital, Kumar succumbed to his injures taking the death toll of BSF personnel killed in Pakistani shelling to three in the past one week. Constable Gurnam Singh had succumbed to his injuries on October 22 and Constable Sushil Kumar died on October 24.

In retaliatory firing by the BSF, one Pakistan Ranger was killed and another seriously injured. “At 12.30 pm and 1.15 pm, BSF troops in the Arnia and RS Pura sectors of Jammu killed one Pakistan Ranger and seriously injured another in retaliatory fire. Pakistan troops managed to evacuate the grievously injured soldier in the vehicle amid the exchange of fire. Pakistan has resorted to heavy firing which is being responded to in a befitting manner,” said Dharmendra Kumar Parekh, BSF DIG, Jammu Frontiers.

This is the second incident in a week that the BSF has killed Pakistan Rangers. On October 21, seven Pakistan Rangers and one militant were killed in retaliatory fire when Constable Gurnam Singh was injured in sniper fire.

Meanwhile, seven civilians were also injured in fresh Pakistani shelling on Nai Basti Raipur village in RS Pura this morning. The injured have been identified as Jyoti Sharma, Raj Rani, Shano Devi, Lucky Sharma, Abhi Sharma, Uday Sharma and Thoru Ram.

The injured are being treated at Government Medical College, Jammu, where condition Jyoti Sharma is critical. She received a splinter injury in her abdomen. As shelling and firing has escalated over the past few days, over 12,000 border dwellers have already migrated to safer places.

Meanwhile, Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling along the International Border this evening. Two persons received splinter injuries in the Hiranagar sector.