The situation along the International Border is turning grim as for the sixth consecutive day the Pakistan Rangers shelled civilian areas across Jammu frontier and killed two more women in Chilyari village of Samba sector while injuring 15 others.
The Disaster Ward of the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu is chock-a-block with patients injured by mortar shells fired by Pakistan and more are coming in each day as Pakistan continues its relentless pounding of forward areas in Jammu.
According to official sources, more than 50 BSF border posts and over 30 villages across Samba, Hiranagar, Arnia, RS Pura, Akhnoor and Pargwal areas of Jammu frontier were targeted by the Pakistan Rangers late on Tuesday night with mortar shells and heavy volume of firing.
The firing which started around 8 pm on Tuesday continued till Wednesday morning in some areas triggering panic among the few people who have chosen to stay back in the border villages to look after their livestock and homes.
Most of the villages in Arnia wore a deserted look for the second consecutive day as the area has been hit hard by Pakistani shelling. The pockmarked shutters of the shops that are lying closed in the main market are proof of the destruction caused by splinters of mortar shells fired by Pakistan.
However, not one to take things lying down, BSF jawans hit Pakistan hard by using similar calibre of weapons to silence the Pakistani guns.
BSF Director-General DK Pathak told a visiting team of reporters at a forward location: “The jawans have been given clear-cut instructions to retaliate strongly if they are targeted from across the border. We are not escalating the tension.
We want peace to prevail along the borders but we cannot remain silent if attacked. We have told our jawans to retaliate only when they are targeted.”
Unconfirmed reports claimed that heavy damage was inflicted on the other side of the International Border by the BSF.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu told reporters: “Eight civilians have been killed and 75 others have been injured in fresh flare up of tension between India and Pakistan on the International Border and along the line of Control. Over 50 animals are also killed in the heavy shelling in the border villages.”
Till date over 15,000 people have been uprooted due to the flare-up. Though some of the villagers are taking shelter at relief centres set up by the State Government in Jammu, Samba and Kathua, a large number of them have been camping with their relatives and friends at safer locations.
During the night-long firing, three BSF personnel were also injured and rushed to Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu. Their condition is stated to be stable.
Six other civilians were badly hit in Jeora farm area of RS Pura and were rushed to Jammu in the private car of a local cameraman. The State Government machinery failed to retrieve the injured from the forward border villages amid the heavy exchange of firing.
In Srinagar, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took stock of the security situation and reviewed arrangements made on ground zero to provide safe shelter to the displaced border residents.
Omar was informed that 24 temporary camps have been established in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts at safer places for the families hit by the shelling and over 7,000 people are residing in these camps. Omar was told that free food, medicine, blankets and other things are being provided to the residents of these camps. The Chief Minister said that more places like banquet halls should be identified and turned intoshelters for the populace in the hour of need.
The Chief Minister directed the Divisional Commissioner to sensitize all the Deputy Commissioners in this regard and ensure that people migrating from the forward areas to escape Pakistani shelling do not face any shortage of food, medicine, drinking water and other necessities. MOS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh also visited border areas along with local legislators and took stock of the situation.
Speaking to reporters Dr Singh claimed that the morale of the jawans was very high and they were feeling motivated as the Government had given them a free hand to deal with the situation appropriately and retaliate strongly to the provocation from across the border.