The situation along the loC and International Border (IB) with Pakistan remained tense on Tuesday with the Pakistan Rangers targeting at least 40 Border posts of BSF along the 200-km long IB in Jammu frontier during the intervening night of October 6 and October 7. More than a dozen civilians were injured in the firing in Arnia and RS Pura.
In fresh exchange of firing along the line of control in Poonch on Tuesday evening, a JCO and two jawans of 44 RR were injured in the Kerni sector. The Pakistan Rangers opened another front along the Kathua-Samba axis of Jammu frontier. Pakistan had earlier targeted forward villages in Pargwal and Kanachak sub-sectors of Akhnoor late on Monday spreading panic in the area.
In the last 24 hours, the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Rangers have made a deliberate attempt to provoke strong Indian reaction by targeting thickly populated civilian areas far-off from border with 120 mm mortar shells and heavy firing. According to field reports, more than 40 border posts of BSF were targeted by the Pakistan Rangers, while dozens of forward villages were pounded with mortar shells to disturb the civilian population in RS Pura Sector.
In Poonch, the Pakistan Army targeted forward Indian posts in Balakote, Shahpur, Kerni and Balnoi areas with mortar shells and automatic weapons. Panic stricken residents have fled their houses and are taking shelter at safer locations to prevent loss of human life. After a brief lull along the IB, firing resumed in Hiranagar and Samba sector on Tuesday evening. The State Police has alerted local villagers to exercise caution anticipating flare up of tensions in the area.
To firmly deal with Pakistan on ‘ground zero’, both the Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) have started strengthening their defences. According to reports, the Indian Army has started beefing up its logistics and stocking up its stores ahead of long winter months to effectively deal with the spiraling graph of border skirmishes.
The BSF too is gearing up its men and machinery to deal with the challenging security situation. The surveillance grid has been activated to ensure round-the-clock vigil on the movement of suspected people near the border to prevent any infiltration bid by trained group of militants under the cover of heavy firing.
BSF Director General DK Pathak, camping in Jammu since Monday morning, is learnt to have passed clear-cut instructions to the BSF jawans to give befitting reply to the Pakistan Rangers if they targeted BSF posts from across the border. The BSF DG is also learnt to have submitted a detailed report to the Union Home Ministry about the latest situation on the International border. Pathak is leading from the front and visited several forward posts to boost the morale of the BSF jawans in Akhnoor sector.