Border villagers flee to safe areas as tension escalates
Bent on escalating tension along the border with India, Pakistan Rangers on Monday intensified unprovoked firing killing one more BSF jawan and injuring two others in Samba sector of Jammu Frontier. On Saturday, two Army jawans were killed along the loC in Tangdhar in north Kashmir.
Kathua Deputy Commi-ssioner Kathua Shahid Iqbal Chowdhary said the situation is very serious as Pakistani shells have landed 3 to 4 km inside Indian territory.
According to official sources, “After a brief lull, Pakistan Rangers trained their guns towards forward Indian posts in Samba and Hiranagar sub-sectors around 1.45 pm on Monday and started pounding forward villages with mortar shells and heavy gunfire”.
One BSF jawan, identified constable Devendra Singh, was martyred by Pakistani shelling in the Samba sector. Two others jawans received minor injuries. Doctors at the District hospital, Samba, made futile efforts to revive him as he was shifted there in a serious condition.
According to ground reports, “More than twenty border posts of BSF were targetted by Pakistan in the fresh round of ‘unprovoked’ firing possibly to help small group of infiltrators sneak into the Indian territory taking advantage of dense foggy weather conditions.”
Unconfirmed reports also claimed several Pakistan Army regulars have been seen assisting Pakistan Rangers in targeting BSF posts using high calibre weapons. Alert BSF jawans have been effectively responding using similar calibre weapons to silence the Pakistani guns.
Official sources said, “Several hundred border residents had to run for cover after Pakistani guns started pounding civilian areas 3-4 km deep inside the Indian territory.” local police authorities pressed bulletproof vehicles and other public vehicles to shift women and children from forward villages of Manguchak, Chilyari, Dera Chachwal, Khoara in Samba.
Intelligence agencies have also cautioned the jawans of the BSF to remain alert to foil any major infiltration bid from across the border. These reports claimed that small groups of trained infiltrators are camping across the border in Samba sector to sneak into the Indian territory under the cover of heavy firing by Pakistan.
Reacting to the emerging security situation along the International border, the district administration in Kathua has announced closure of all Government and private educational institutions in Hiranagar and Marheen zones.
According to ground reports, more than 4,000 border residents are camping at various relief camps set up by the local authorities to accommodate displaced people.