Simmering tension between India and Pakistan escalated further after the Border Security Force (BSF) in a strong retaliatory action on Friday killed at least 7 Pakistan Rangers and one terrorist along the International Border in Hiranagar sector of Jammu frontier.
After the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), this is the second major offensive unleashed by the Indian border guards to give a befitting reply to the Pakistan Rangers’ unprovoked actions.
The BSF posts were being targeted by the Pakistan Rangers and heavily-armed infiltrators from across the border in the Hiranagar sector for the last two days. BSF jawans had even foiled a major infiltration bid in the same sector after Rocket Propelled Grenades were fired at the night patrol vehicle of the BSF.
The BSF troops were forced to launch a fresh offensive after one jawan was seriously injured in a sniper attack around 9.35 am in the same sector on Friday.
According to BSF sources, “Pakistan Rangers had targeted a duty mound of BSF in Hiranagar sector of Bobiya and seriously injured BSF jawan Gurnam Singh on Friday.”
Singh was evacuated from the forward post to Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu. His condition was stated to be critical as he had received bullet injuries to his head. According to BSF sources Singh was instrumental in repulsing a major infiltration bid on October 20.
According to the BSF spokesman of Jammu frontier, “In a befitting reply to a sniper attack by Pakistan Rangers at 9.35 am in Hiranagar sector of Jammu frontier the BSF launched an aggressive offensive. During intermittent firing, one terrorist and 7 Pakistan Rangers were shot dead”.
The spokesman said BSF jawans are in a state of high alert and their morale was high. “We are prepared to foil any infiltration bid,” the spokesman said. Seeking to suggest that the killings had been corroborated by Pakistani media, the BSF said “source input” claimed that a media organisation in that country was running a news item about the death of five Rangers.
Pakistan Rangers also targeted Abdullain Border outpost in RS Pura sector of Jammu late on Friday evening. The district administration has issued warnings to the residents of the area to stay inside their houses and avoid venturing out. Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said, the local authorities have been advised to monitor the situation closely.
According to ground reports several villagers have been camping in community bunkers to save themselves from the fury of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, anticipating fresh flare-up of tensions in the area the district administration had deployed bullet proof ‘rakshak’ vehicles to evacuate border residents from forward villages to safer places.
The situation along the line of Control also remained tense in frontier Rajouri and Poonch districts.
According to Defence PRO in Jammu, “An infiltration bid was foiled by the alert and vigilant troops of Army in the densely forested area along the loC in the Poonch.”