A seventeen (17)-year-old girl, staying with her maternal uncle in the border town of Arnia for last two daysbecame first civilian victim of cross border firing of this year, after she was hit by splinters of a mortar shell fired by Pakistan Rangers targeting thickly populated civilian areas across RS Pura sector of Jammu frontier.
According to her close family members, the young girl, identified as Neelam (aka Sweetie), originally a resident of Dyalachak, received splinter injuries around her neck when she was relieving herself in the open fields near her relatives home in Pindi Charkhan village of Arnia town in RS Pura. Four other villagers received splinter injuries as shells landed in their courtyards during overnight mortar shelling which continued till early morning. Several houses bore brunt of shelling with tell tale signs of destruction visible on their four walls. Blood stained house courtyards were left unattended in haste, livestock with bullet injuries were crying for attention, mutilated kitchen utensils, parked vehicles with shattered window panes dotted several small bylanes in the area.
Panic stricken border residents remained closeted inside their homes to ensure their safety. Earlier, a BSF head constable, who was manning lMG position at a forward border outpost was martyred late last night while retaliating strongly to ‘unprovoked’ ceasefire violation by the Pakistan rangers. Another BSF jawan, injured during the firing, was admitted in the hospital.
According to official sources, “at least two dozen villages and around one dozen posts were targeted by the Pakistan rangers in the Ramgarh sector of Samba, Arnia sub sector of RSPura.
The district administration had also ordered closure of all educational institutions within the 5 km radius of Interantional border to prevent any loss of life during continuous mortar shelling.
Amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan Director General of Border Security Force (BSF), KK Sharma, on Thursday morning landed in Jammu to take fresh stock of the prevailing security situation.
He directed local commanders on ground zero to retaliate ‘strongly’ with full force in order to teach a lesson to their Pakistani counterparts.
After paying homage to the Head Constable A Suresh, hailing from Tamil Nadu, DG BSF told reporters at BSF headquarters in Paloura, “BSF inflicted heavy damages of life and property on Pakistan in its retaliatory fire after the latest round of skirmishes on the international border in Arnia sub-sector". He said that the force also damaged two mortar positions opposite Arnia.
“I can’t give an exact number but if you monitor Pakistani media you will get it. It was not for the first time that Pakistan opened unprovoked fire at us. On January 3, they shot sniper round in which we lost a jawan. At that time also BSF had strongly retaliated and had inflicted heavy damages,” he said.
Sharing his assessment Sharma said the situation along the line of Control and international border was “tense”.
He, however, clarified morale of our troops is very high and we are “more than prepared” to deal with the situation.Reacting to media queries over the possible reasons behind sudden escalation of border tension along the International border Sharma said, “We don’t initiate first fire but if provoked, we strongly retaliate. I assure you that this time also strong action is being taken. The martyrdom of head constable A Suresh won’t go waste,” he added.
"India is a peace loving country and does not want to create a war-like situation.
Paying homage to martyred BSF head constable DG BSF said,“The head constable was behind his lMG and was retaliating to Pakistani fire from a loophole of one foot by one-foot square. Enemies target that. A bullet entered from the loophole and hit him. It was very unfortunate,” he said.
Sharma said,“The place where the latest skirmishes took place has a nullah (rivulet) nearby. So, possibilities of an intrusion bid in the wake of January 26 cannot be ruled out but our jawans are alert and we have also sufficient surveillance equipment in place. We will ensure that no infiltration takes place,” he added.
Border residents Ramesh Chander, Chanchala Devi, Darshan lal and Ramesh lal, were also injured on Wednesday night after Pakistan violated the ceasefire. All of them are residents of ward number 13 of Arnia town.
Additional deputy commissioner of Jammu Dr Arun Kumar Manhas said that the mortar shelling lasted till midnight.There was panic among the villagers and they stayed indoors, he added.
“The district administration has asked all its officers to remain in the state of highest preparedness in view of continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan,” said Dr Arun Manhas.