*Several cattle perish, houses extensively damaged
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 31: After intense week-long shelling on the International Border (IB), Pakistan army shifted the scene of heavy shelling and firing to the Line of Control (LoC), targeting forward Army posts and civilian areas in which an Army jawan and a woman were killed while three other women and two Army jawans were injured as large number of houses were damaged and many cattle perished or were injured during the day today.
In retaliation, Indian troops have so far destroyed at least two Pakistani posts, which were targeting forward troops and civilian areas on the Indian side. However, number of casualties on Pakistan side in the posts that were blasted in the afternoon was not known immediately due to continued shelling and firing that started at 9 am and was going on when the reports last came in, trapping many civilians inside their houses.
Barring three major infiltration attempts in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, all of which were foiled by brave jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF), the International Border was generally calm and peaceful for the past three days. However, intermittent shelling and firing in Hiranagar and RS Pura sectors continued overnight but there were no casualties or damage.
Balakote, Mendhar and Mankote sectors in Poonch district and Manjakote in Rajouri district were heavily shelled by the Pakistani troops throughout the day today, beginning 9 am. While most of the people were yet to come out of their houses, some of those, who had gone to fields or other places, rushed back and took shelter. However, they couldn’t reach the safer areas and were confined to the houses as Pakistan army directly shelled the civilian population.
Several mortar shells of 120mm and 82mm landed inside or close to houses in Balakote, Mendhar and Manjakote sectors besides forward posts of the Army along the LoC.
Official sources told the Excelsior that an Army jawan Rifleman Biman Tamang, 20, attained martyrdom while manning forward post in Manjakote sector of Rajouri district. He is survived by his mother Nirmaya Tamang, a resident of Dharan, Nepal.
Tamang’s body will be sent to his native town tomorrow with full military honours after wreath laying ceremony.
“Ceasefire violations in Rajouri sector being retaliated with massive fire assault. One Indian Army soldier martyred,” a Northern Command post at the twitter said.
Tamang has become sixth soldier to be martyred during past 10 days shelling by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, three BSF jawans were martyred on the International Border in Jammu while an Army and a BSF jawan were killed in Keran sector of Kupwara district in the Kashmir valley.
Twenty Pakistan army personnel and 15 Rangers have so far been killed while number of Pakistan casualties could go up after today’s retaliation along LoC by the Indian troops in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
A 50-year old woman Rashid Bi wife of Ghulam Ahmad was killed and her 24 year old daughter Najma Akhter was injured when a mortar shell fell inside their house at village Golhad in Mendhar sector this afternoon. Their house was extensively damaged. The woman succumbed to her injuries while being evacuated to the hospital. She had sustained splinter injuries on her head.
Her body was kept in another house in the safer area as Golhad was being shelled heavily. She was buried late in the afternoon. Her daughter Najma Akhter was shifted to District Hospital, Rajouri.
Two other women injured in Pakistan shelling have been identified as Rabia Kouser, 28, wife of Zahir Abid, a resident of Basooni, Mendhar and Tasveer Bi, 24, wife of Mohammad Lateef R/o Darana, Mendhar. They were admitted in the District Hospital, Udhampur.
Two Army jawans injured in the shelling Sepoy Vikram and Havaldar Ranjit Singh have been shifted to the Command Hospital.
A number of cattle were killed and injured in Pakistan shelling at Balakote and Mendhar areas. However, exact count of dead and injured cattle couldn’t be ascertained immediately as the shelling continued throughout the day and neither the people were able to come out of their houses nor the administration could visit the site. The Veterinary doctors visited some villages to treat the injured while most of the villages were out of bound due to uninterrupted shelling.
A large number of houses were also extensively damaged in the shelling at all the places, sources said, adding the figure would be known only once the shelling stopped.
Sources said Army retaliated to Pakistan shelling and firing very effectively at all the places and till the reports last came in, they had destroyed two Pakistan army posts across Balakote.
“These army posts were targeting the civilian areas. After these two posts were decimated, shelling came down to some extent in Balakote,” sources said, adding that exact number of Pakistan army jawans killed in the retaliation was not known immediately.
There was panic among the people living along the LoC due to continued Pakistan shelling and firing with automatic weapons especially targeting the civilian population. Reports said that in number of villages, the people even couldn’t come out of their houses throughout the day as shelling continued.
Meanwhile, three infiltration bids by heavily- armed terrorists, aided by cover fire by Pakistani troops, were foiled in the past 36 hours along the International Border in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.
There have been three infiltration bids in the past 12 days along IB in Jammu frontier, sources said, adding Pakistan has been relentlessly trying to push heavily-armed militants into India with nefarious intention of disturbing peace and cause casualties of security forces in the hinterland.
“There were three attempts of infiltration by groups of terrorists which have been successfully foiled by the alert BSF troops in the face of danger to their lives,” BSF DIG Dharmendra Pareek said here.
He said the attempts were made on Saturday and Sunday under the cover of heavy cross-border firing and shelling by Pakistani Rangers in Hiranagar sector of Kathua.
Giving details, he said in the wee hours of October 29, a group of three heavily-armed terrorists attempted to sneak in from Hiranagar sector while Pakistan Rangers provided covering fire to them. However, alert BSF troops forced them to retreat by effective fire, he said.
“On October 30 around midnight, again a heavily-armed group of three terrorists was detected by alert troops across the IB in another area of Hiranagar sector and they reached the vicinity of International Border, taking advantage of dead ground.
“They were kept under close watch. On effective fire of BSF, they took shelter in dead ground having thick wild growth,” Pareek added.
He said the BSF troops kept the area under close watch during the whole day yesterday and while whole the country was celebrating Diwali, the alert BSF troops spotted a group of terrorists in the evening close to the IB.
“They remained hidden during the day for infiltration. The BSF troops on duty, maintaining high alert round-the-clock on the International Border, being well aware of ill intentions of Pakistan, particularly in view of Diwali festival, opened fire to neutralize them,” the DIG said.
He said that on being exposed, the terrorists targeted BSF troops on duty by resorting to heavy firing but were forced to retreat by effective fire.
“Once they were targeted heavily by BSF with accurate fire, the Pakistan Rangers came to their rescue and provided covering fire support to the militants for their safe withdrawal towards Pakistani villages,” Pareek said.
“The terrorists were seen moving half-bending, crawling and running to save their lives towards Pakistan village of Abhiyal Dogra,” the DIG said.
Meanwhile, heavy firing and shelling along the LoC in Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote and Manjakote in Poonch and Rajouri districts continued till late tonight when the reports last came in. There were reports of couple of more injuries of security personnel. However, there was no official confirmation.
On the International Border, several villagers of RS Pura sector, who have deserted their houses in the aftermath of shelling, had to celebrate Diwali festival yesterday in the houses of their relatives or in the lodgment centres.
Many people in forward villages of RS Pura had migrated after intense shelling by Pakistan.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
