Panic among people as houses hit
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 15: Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy mortar shelling on the International Border at forward village of Chakra and surroundings in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district early this morning in which the border dwellers had narrow escape as several houses were directly hit by the mortars.
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Workers also had miraculous escape as the JCB with which they were working in the forward village was also targeted by the Rangers with mortars and automatic weapons.
Reports said the Border Security Force (BSF) retaliated very effectively to silence the Pakistani guns. Exchange of firing which started around 4 am continued for two hours.
Pakistani Rangers pounded the civilian areas with mortars and a number of houses were hit by long range mortars, causing damage to them. However, there were no casualties on the Indian side as people remained confined to houses and bunkers and didn’t come out till late in the morning when shelling and firing from Pakistan side had stopped.
Mortar shells had caused extensive damage to water tanks on rooftops of houses as well as walls. Administration will assess the damages shortly, according to sources.
However, there was strong resentment among the local people against the Pakistani Rangers for regularly targeting civilian areas on the International Border in Hiranagar sector disturbing their lives.
“For the past over one month, Pakistani Rangers have been resorting to shelling and firing in different villages of Hiranagar sector. We want the BSF to give such a reply to Pakistan that it doesn’t dare to violate ceasefire again,’’ the residents said.
They added that the administration should construct more bunkers immediately in Hiranagar sector so that the people could take shelter there whenever there is shelling and firing from across the border.
As per the reports, workers engaged with a JCB also had very narrow escape in Pakistan shelling and firing as they could manage to run and take cover in safer areas when the Rangers started shelling and firing.
Though the shelling stopped around 6 am today, there was panic among the people of not only village Chakra but all its surroundings as they feared that the frustrated Rangers could again target the civilian population any time to cause casualties.
In most of the villages in Hiranagar sector, people hardly came out of their houses even during the day when there was no shelling and firing and remained confined either to bunkers or their houses.
However, there have been no reports of any migration from the forward villages so far.
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