Pakistani firing kills four more, inlcuding jawan

As Pakistani troops continued heavy shelling and firing for the third consecutive day, four people, including a jawan, were killed.

The ceasefire violations in the forward areas and border villages  of Jammu and Kashmir continued on Saturday, in which a dozen people were also injured.

The relentless shelling has been along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) along  the Jammu region  and has claimed 10 people over  the three days, which  includes six civilians and four soldiers.

The fresh  shelling has taken place  along the  IB in R S Pura and Arnia sectors of Jammu district.

Three BSF personnel were among  those  injured on  Saturday.

 Earlier, the army had said that a soldier was killed after Pakistani troopers opened "unprovoked" fire along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district.

Reports said that almost the entire IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and LoC in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch faced a war-like situation.

On Saturday, more than 10,000 people in RS Pura, Arnia, Ramgarh, Hiranagar, Kanachak and Pargwal sectors moved to safer locations. Some of them moved to the relief camps set up for them by the administration, officials said.

Educational institutions  close to where the shelling and firing were  taking place  have been closed for the next three days, they said.

Oppn walks out

The issue of the continuing ceasefire violations by Pakistan was raised during the ongoing  state  Assembly session in Jammu.  The opposition staged a walkout from the House.

National Conference and Congress MLAs questioned the BJP's "inability" to stop the killing of civilians and armed forces on the border and the failure of the NDA's Pakistan policy.

With  an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition legislators  questioned BJP ministers in the House, saying, "Why has the 56-inch chest been reduced to six inches? Where have the tall claims of beheading ten enemies  for every single casualty  vanished? Go and fight on the border; what are you doing here?"

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed deep anguish and grave concern over the loss of human lives.

"Distraught to hear of three more civilians caught in the crossfire on the border. The people of J&K are the worst victims of the acrimony between the two neighbouring countries. I pray that the hostility on the borders ends soon," she tweeted.