Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 12: Pakis-tani Rangers today violated ceasefire along the Interna-tional Border in Arnia sector of Jammu district by resorting to firing and couple of mortars targeting a BSF jawan, who was working in forward area but he had a narrow escape.
The ceasefire violation was retaliated effectively by the Border Security Force (BSF) to silence the Pakistani guns.
Official sources said the Rangers opened firing with automatic weapons and then lobbed couple of mortar shells targeting a tractor on which the BSF jawan was working in forward area to remove some kind of growth near Pittal post of Arnia sector along the International Border.
The BSF immediately retaliated, leading to exchanges at about 6.30 am, which lasted about 10 minutes.
The BSF jawan sustained minor injuries.
A bullet hit the tractor, used by the BSF, in the field and driver (BSF man) of the vehicle sustained a minor scratch, he said, adding the troops on duty points gave swift and befitting reply to the Pakistan troops.
The ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Rangers came after a long time along the International Border.
The BSF said it will lodge a strong protest with Pakistani Rangers against ceasefire violation by their troops by firing mortars along the International Border.
“Soon a strong protest will be lodged with Pak Rangers for the misadventure by their forward troops,” official sources said.
They said that the BSF is on high alert and fully committed to ensure sanctity of International Border. It will not allow any kind of activities under the garb of such misadventure, they added,
They also said that Pak Rangers further tried to vitiate the situation by targeting the BSF duty points with mortar fire, which was also responded in controlled and accurate manner by alert BSF troops.
Intermittent fire continued for some time.
Sources said Pakistan army and BSF were trying to keep the pot boiling on both LoC and IB, which was the reason that they were resorting to firing and mortar shelling. They added that motive of Pakistani troops could also be to push infiltrators under the cover of mortar shelling and firing.
However, Army and BSF were maintaining high alert on LoC and IB respectively and haven’t allowed Pakistani designs to push militants into this side to succeed.
Meanwhile, in Nowshera sector, which witnessed intense shelling on the intervening night of May 10 and 11, 27 more families comprising 94 persons shifted from forward villages of Jhanghar and Saria to Nowshera Higher Secondary School this morning. Yesterday, 15 families with 68 persons had migrated to Nowshera town.
However, no shelling and firing was reported from any forward area of Nowshera sector since yesterday morning.
A woman was killed and her husband was injured in the shelling while several houses and a Government school were damaged and about 40 cattle had perished in the shelling in Nowshera sector.
In the wake of shelling, the schools falling within two kilometers from LoC in Nowshera sector remained closed for second day today. Authorities had closed the schools as a precautionary measures.
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