BSF man, civilian injured as Pak targets Samba, Kathua

Amir Karim Tantray

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 17

A BSF constable and a civilian were injured on Thursday as Pakistan again violated the ceasefire, targeting border villages in Samba and Hiranagar sectors ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on May 19.

Sources said two or three Pakistan Rangers personnel were also killed in retaliatory fire by the BSF. Pakistan Rangers opened fire and lobbed mortars at over 15 border outposts and some civilian areas along the International Border in Samba and Kathua districts, an official said today.

The firing and mortar shelling along the International Border in Samba district started around 2 am on Thursday, while it started around 10 pm on Wednesday in Kathua’s Hiranagar sector, said a senior BSF officer.

BSF troops guarding the borderline retaliated and the exchange of fire was going on when reports last came in, the officer said.

Karol, Bido, Londi and Bobiyan border villages in the Hiranagar sector and Kungwala, Suchetgarh, Regal Mawa, Chachwal and Chinyari villages of the Samba sector were hit by the shelling.

Constable Pravin Kumar Mishra of 80 Battalion was injured in a border outpost in the Samba sector, while a civilian named Daulat Ram of Londi village was injured in the Hiranagar sector.

“The Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked shelling on the IB, which was retaliated by the BSF. In the ensuing exchange of fire, one BSF jawan sustained injuries,” said a BSF officer.

Several heads of cattle also died in Pakistan shelling in the two sectors as tension gripped the area.

On May 15, a 28-year-old BSF man was killed as Pakistan troops violated the ceasefire by opening fire on forward posts to help infiltrators cross the International Border in the Samba sector. Troops have foiled four infiltration bids along the border since Sunday.

The BSF jawan’s death took the number of persons killed in over 700 incidents of Pakistan shelling along the International Border and the Line of Control in the state to 33, the highest this year. The deceased include 17 security personnel. (With PTI inputs)

Safety arrangements  

• To assess the situation arising after the shelling, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Rohit Khajuria visited several border villages and talked to people of the area. He assured them of every possible help from the administration
• The authorities have activated safe shelters and other facilities and have alerted the police for evacuation in case of escalation in the exchange of shelling and firing