Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 1: After a lull of some days, Pakistan Army and Rangers opened firing at both Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu sector trying to facilitate infiltration attempts by the militants in Balakote sector of Poonch district and injuring a BSF jawan in Hiranagar sector today. Troops have foiled the infiltration attempt on the LoC.
The ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops at LoC and IB came just a day after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj laid conditions for talks with Pakistan.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Pakistan Rangers first opened firing at forward areas at village Bobiya in Hiranagar sector in Kathua district at 11.20 am targeting forward posts of the BSF in which a BSF jawan AK Babha from Assam was injured. The BSF retaliated, leading to exchange of firing that lasted more than 20 minutes.
Again at 6.15 pm today, the Rangers extended area of firing by targeting three forward villages of Hiranagar sector including Patti, Krol Krishna and Bobiya. Pakistan also fired at least four mortar shells on the forward Indian positions but they exploded harmlessly. The BSF retaliated effectively. Intermittent exchange of firing was going on till late tonight when the reports last came in but there was no report of any fresh casualties or damage on the Indian side in latest round of firing.
This was after a lull of several days that the International Border has again become active in Jammu sector. For the past few days, there had been no report of firing on the IB, sources said describing Pakistan firing as completely unprovoked.
On the LoC also, Pakistan Army violated ceasefire twice in Balakote sector of Poonch district.
Sources said Pakistan Army opened firing with heavy fire arms and also used RPG shells to target forward Indian post at around 12.15 am today. The Indian side exercised restraint and didn’t retaliate. The firing continued for about 40 minutes.
“Under the cover of firing, the Pakistan Army reportedly tried to push a group of five to six militants into the Indian side. However, the militants retreated to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) after finding the troops on high alert along the LoC,” sources said.
However, at about 6 am today, the Pakistan Army again resorted to firing on the Indian positions for about half an hour. This time, the troops didn’t observe the infiltration attempt by the militants, sources said, adding that there were no casualties or damage on the Indian side in the Pakistani firing.
They described sudden ceasefire violations by Pakistan on LoC and IB as completely unprovoked.
Ceasefire violations by Pakistan came just over a week after the visit of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to Jammu and Kashmir during which he had also visited LoC in Poonch sector and held high level review of security situation. There had been inputs that a number of militants were camping across LoC and IB awaiting opportunities to sneak inside the Indian territory during summer to create disturbances and indulge in fidayeen attacks.
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