JOIN USHeavy shelling continues, 3 injured
Three more civilians were injured due to heavy Pakistan shelling on 15 Border out Posts (BoPs) and villages on Saturday along the International Border in Jammu.
Reports said Pakistani Rangers broke the two-day lull in R S Pura sector of Jammu district around 8:20 pm on Saturday by resorting to small arms firing at 15 BoPs which BSF retaliated to.
However, reports added, around 9:05 pm, the Rangers resumed heavy mortar shelling targeting the entire Arnia sector including deserted town and forward villages of Abdullian, Kaku-De-Kothe, Mashan-De-Kothe, Chenaz, Chingia, Treva, Sei and Devigarh leaving three persons injured, one of them seriously.
Eyewitness told Deccan Herald over phone that more than a dozen shells fell in Arnia town. “As most of the people in border areas have already migrated to safer places, the causality was less,” they said and added the intense mortar shelling once again caused fear psychosis among the people living close to the border.
A senior BSF official said the Pakistani firing and shelling was retaliated effectively and the exchange continued for several hours. Guns had fallen silent on International Border since Thursday evening leading to a ray of hope among the villagers that they will soon return to their houses. However, the shelling on Saturday night has dashed the hopes of border dwellers.
More than 30,000 people have migrated from border villages and are in relief camps following shelling and firing by the Rangers for the last 12 days.
On Saturday, Pakistani troops had also resorted to firing on forward Indian posts along the Line of Control in Banwat-Shahpur sector of Poonch district. Pakistan Army had heavily shelled civilian areas in Shahpur, Kirni, Banwat, Mandaar, Kalsaam, Doda along LoC in Poonch.
Reports said Pakistani troops of 641 Mujahid Regiment also shelled six posts including Doda, Jangalvon, Jungal two, Kranti, Sher and Shakti in the area.