The security situation along the International border remained grim in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu region following fresh escalation of hostilities between the border guards of two neighbouring countries.
All through the night on Saturday Pakistan Rangers pounded several forward villages with 82 mm and 51 mm mortar shells triggering fresh wave of terror among the local population. Pakistan Rangers also targeted at least 14 Border Outposts provoking strong retaliation from the Indian side.
Two more civilians including a woman received splinter injuries and were rushed to the GMC, Jammu.
Several houses, vehicles parked in the densely populated bylanes and livestock bore brunt of ‘unprovoked’ Pakistani firing on the civilian pockets.
According to official sources, “Pakistan Rangers resumed fresh firing in the area late Sunday evening forcing the local villagers to rush to safer places and Government schools for shelter”.
BSF spokesman late sunday evening confirmed, Pak rangers are targeting civilian pockets and BOP’s in Heeranagar and Kathua sectors as well.
The local police and BSF had deployed mobile bullet proof bunkers to evacuate villagers stranded in the forward villages during the heavy exchange of fire.
The district administration had been directed to pull up their socks to prepare more shelter points to accommodate residents at the border in case hostilities scaled up.
Meanwhile, due to continuous firing in the area for last three days BSF had to cancel the ongoing repair and construction work of border fence close to the International border.
Senior Manager of the private construction company which had engaged laborers to carry out necessary work told The Pioneer, after the firing incident of Thursday in which one laborer was killed we have stopped work on ground zero.
He said total number of 32 people were present on the spot along with machinery including JCB machines, tractors and jeep.
The Manager of a construction company revealed, the BSF men deserve all the credit for saving precious lives of our work force.
At the same time the local managers are a worried lot as they are still awaiting completion of necessary paper work to ensure adequate compensation to the deceased laborer from Chattisgarh.
Raj Kumar hailing from Chattisgarh succumbed to his fatal injuries on Thursday after Pak rangers opened fire on the laborers working near the border fence in Manguchak area of Samba. He was survived by his wife, four children and four sisters.
“We have contacted his father in Chattisgarh through local police before distributing relief cheque on behalf of the construction company”.
Another injured undergoing treatment in GMC, Baldev Singh, hailing from Ropar, was working as works supervisor in the area when he was hit by a bullet on his right arm. He said BSF men came to our rescue and shifted more than 20 people in mobile bunkers to safety else Pak rangers would have created havoc by targeting their work force in the area.