<p>Tension along the border in Jammu & Kashmir escalated on Saturday as two Army personnel and a woman were killed and at least a dozen people injured due to firing and heavy shelling by Pakistani troops on several forward areas across the state. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) in Jammu has been going on for the last one week, Pakistan opened a new front along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir Valley on Friday night, officials said. Sources said Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the LoC near Kanhaiyah Post of Tanghdar sector in Kupwara district on Friday night by firing rocket propelled grenades. <br /><br />“In the shelling, two Army troopers were killed while another was injured. A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper, who was posted on duty in a nearby post, was also injured in the incident,” they said.<br /><br />Sources added that due to the firing and shelling, a blaze erupted in the area which has engulfed the nearby forest.<br /><br />Along the IB in Jammu, Pakistani Rangers continued to pound border outposts (BOPs) and civilian areas with heavy mortar in Kathua and Samba districts, killing one woman and injuring 10 others. <br /><br />Inspector General of BSF Rakesh Sharma said that Pakistani rangers started pounding Indian BOPs and civilian areas in Samba and Kathua district from 9:30 pm on Friday. <br /><br />“The BSF retaliated after the Rangers started pounding about dozen forward BSF posts and all villages falling along the IB at 9:30 pm. The firing continued till 3 am and it restarted in the morning,” Sharma said.<br /><br />Sources told Deccan Herald that three Pakistani Rangers opposite Mangu Chak in Samba sector were killed in retaliatory firing on Friday night. <br /><br />“Under the cover of shelling and firing, the Rangers tried to push a group of seven to eight heavily armed militants from forward area of Chor Gali in Samba sector. However, alert troops spotted the intruders and opened heavy fire. The militants taking advantage of darkness fled back,” sources said.<br /><br /></p>.<div>Sources revealed that since the Rangers failed along the IB, Pakistan deployed its army in some areas opposite the Samba sector.Reports said the police are making announcements on loud speakers urging border residents to stay indoors. They are also being advised to take shelter in bunkers.<br /><br /></div>.<div>An eyewitness told Deccan Herald over phone that people living in forward areas along the IB continued to spend sleepless nights.<br /><br /></div>.<div>The latest ceasefire violation which started on New Year’s Eve has left five people dead, including two Army personnel and a BSF trooper, and more than a dozen injured while five Pakistani Rangers have also been killed in retaliatory firing by India.<br /><br /></div>.<div>In a major ceasefire violation between August and October, at least 13 people were killed and 32,000 border residents displaced.</div>
<p>Tension along the border in Jammu & Kashmir escalated on Saturday as two Army personnel and a woman were killed and at least a dozen people injured due to firing and heavy shelling by Pakistani troops on several forward areas across the state. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) in Jammu has been going on for the last one week, Pakistan opened a new front along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir Valley on Friday night, officials said. Sources said Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the LoC near Kanhaiyah Post of Tanghdar sector in Kupwara district on Friday night by firing rocket propelled grenades. <br /><br />“In the shelling, two Army troopers were killed while another was injured. A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper, who was posted on duty in a nearby post, was also injured in the incident,” they said.<br /><br />Sources added that due to the firing and shelling, a blaze erupted in the area which has engulfed the nearby forest.<br /><br />Along the IB in Jammu, Pakistani Rangers continued to pound border outposts (BOPs) and civilian areas with heavy mortar in Kathua and Samba districts, killing one woman and injuring 10 others. <br /><br />Inspector General of BSF Rakesh Sharma said that Pakistani rangers started pounding Indian BOPs and civilian areas in Samba and Kathua district from 9:30 pm on Friday. <br /><br />“The BSF retaliated after the Rangers started pounding about dozen forward BSF posts and all villages falling along the IB at 9:30 pm. The firing continued till 3 am and it restarted in the morning,” Sharma said.<br /><br />Sources told Deccan Herald that three Pakistani Rangers opposite Mangu Chak in Samba sector were killed in retaliatory firing on Friday night. <br /><br />“Under the cover of shelling and firing, the Rangers tried to push a group of seven to eight heavily armed militants from forward area of Chor Gali in Samba sector. However, alert troops spotted the intruders and opened heavy fire. The militants taking advantage of darkness fled back,” sources said.<br /><br /></p>.<div>Sources revealed that since the Rangers failed along the IB, Pakistan deployed its army in some areas opposite the Samba sector.Reports said the police are making announcements on loud speakers urging border residents to stay indoors. They are also being advised to take shelter in bunkers.<br /><br /></div>.<div>An eyewitness told Deccan Herald over phone that people living in forward areas along the IB continued to spend sleepless nights.<br /><br /></div>.<div>The latest ceasefire violation which started on New Year’s Eve has left five people dead, including two Army personnel and a BSF trooper, and more than a dozen injured while five Pakistani Rangers have also been killed in retaliatory firing by India.<br /><br /></div>.<div>In a major ceasefire violation between August and October, at least 13 people were killed and 32,000 border residents displaced.</div>
