Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 11: Pakistan Rangers broke two days lull on the International Border (IB) tonight by resuming heavy firing and shelling tonight in entire Arnia sector while peace prevailed in other sectors along the International Border (IB) including Hiranagar, Samba, Ramgarh, RS Pura, Kanachak and Pargwal even as Pakistan Army targeted forward Indian posts and civilian areas in Kirni and Shahpur sub sectors in Poonch district damaging over a dozen houses and killed and injuring some cattle.
Official sources said the Rangers broke two days lull in Arnia sector first at 8.20 pm tonight by resorting to small arms firing at four Border Out Posts (BOPs) of BSF for 10 minutes. The BSF retaliated. However, at 9.05 pm, the Rangers resumed heavy mortar shelling targeting entire Arnia sector including town and forward villages of Allah, Kaku-De-Kothe, Mashan-De-Kothe, Chenaz, Chingia, Treva, Sei and Devigarh.
About a dozen shells fell in Arnia town and Main Market while four shells fell near Arnia police station. However, there were no reports of any casualties as people of Arnia town and forward villages have already migrated to safer areas.
The BSF has been retaliating effectively, sources said, adding the exchanges were on when the reports last came in.
During past two days, there had been no firing and shelling on the IB and guns had fallen silent from both sides, leading to a ray of hope among the villagers that they will soon return to their houses. However, the Rangers resumed the shelling tonight.
Sources said barring Arnia, all other sectors on the IB were peaceful till midnight tonight.
About 33,000 people have migrated from border villages and were putting up in the relief camps following shelling and firing by the Rangers for past 12 days.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Army started heavy shelling with 82mm mortars and firing with automatic weapons targeting half a dozen forward posts of the Indian troops and five border villages of Kirni, Shahpur, Mandaar, Kalsaan and Doda area in Kirni and Shahpur sub sector of Poonch district at 1.30 pm today when the people were working in their fields.
A couple of cattle were killed and others injured after being hit by mortar shells while over dozen houses were damaged.
As the LoC was normal for past five days, the people had resumed working in the fields, grazing cattle and doing other day-to-day work. But they rushed back to homes and took shelter inside after Pakistan Army started pounding the civilian population and Army posts.
Troops from this side retaliated effectively to silence the Pakistani guns. Exchanges continued till 4.10 pm, sources said, adding that the terrified people remained confined inside their houses and bunkers and only those, whose cattle had been killed or injured or houses damaged turned out to see extent of damage and arrange treatment for injured cattle.
SSP Poonch Shamsheer Hussain said police parties from nearby police stations and posts rushed to the villages and assured protection to the villagers. He said a horse of Mushtaq Ahmad son of Wali Mohammad was killed at village Qasba in Kirni sector after being hit by a mortar shell while two cattle of Mohammad Sadeeq son of Karima were injured in the same village.
Reports said nearly a dozen houses were damaged with mortar shells hitting boundary walls or felling inside and exploding with bangs. Several shells exploded in fields of the villagers burning bundles of crops and causing extensive damage to standing crops.
The intense mortar shelling has once again caused fear psychosis among the people living close to the LoC in border district of Poonch as last year too in July-September, they had suffered extensive damage of property and crops in mortar shelling by the Pakistan Army.
Describing Pakistan shelling as completely unprovoked, sources said it was replied effectively by the Indian side.
During past five days, there had been no shelling and firing from the Pakistan side on the LoC. Prior to that Pakistan Army had resorted to mortar shelling and firing for past few days. A teen-aged girl was killed and half a dozen other civilians were injured in mortar shelling by Pakistan in Sabjian sector of Poonch last week.
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