Pak resumes shelling; 7 hurt

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 21

Pakistan Rangers yet again resorted to unprovoked shelling in the Arnia sector, injuring seven persons, including a Special Police Officer (SPO), and triggering panic among villages along the International Border on Monday.

The local administration began evacuating people from the border areas of Ranbir Singh Pura (RS Pura) and closed schools for two days within 5 km of the border.

SPO Gulcharan Singh was injured when a mortar shell landed at a police station in Arnia. A seriously injured woman, Darshna Devi, was shifted to GMC, Jammu. The others, also from Arnia, were admitted to a local hospital.

Pakistan Rangers, who had earlier halted firing after “pleading” with the Border Security Force for calm, resorted to unprovoked firing late on Sunday and resumed heavy shelling on Monday. 

A BSF spokesperson said the Rangers opened small-arms fire at the Narayanpur BOP in Ramgarh sector around 10.30 pm on Sunday for 30 minutes. The BSF retaliated with limited fire. Around 4 am, Rangers restarted small-arms fire in the Arnia sector and switched to heavy mortar shelling around 7 am. A heavy exchange of fire continued till 2 pm.

Around 8.45 pm, Chamliyal BOP in the Ramgarh sector was also targeted. Amid shelling, residents started fleeing to safer places. The administration said shelter camps had been set up and vehicles pressed into service to evacuate villagers. As many as 112 schools have been closed for two days.

8-month-old boy dies in firing from across LoC

Jammu: An eight-month-old boy was killed in Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) at Saili Palli village in the Akhnoor sector late on Sunday. Police said the family was sleeping in the house courtyard when a bullet hit the baby. TNS