2 killed in spate of unprovoked firings from across border
An eight-year-old boy and his father were killed while five others, including a BSF jawan, injured in one of the biggest ever incidents of ceasefire violation along the International border in Jammu frontier in the wee hours of Saturday. Intense exchange of shelling during the night forced several hundred villagers to shift their families to safer places to prevent any loss of human life.
According to field reports, Pakistani rangers targeted at least 22 BSF border posts along the RS Pura sector besides pounding several Indian villages with long range 82 mm mortar shells for several hours between 1 am and 7 am. Several houses were damaged and livestock bore the brunt of the heavy-volume firing in the forward area.
In response, BSF jawans retaliated strongly by using similar calibre weapons to silence the Pak guns. Media reports in Pakistan claimed two civilians were killed in Sialkot sector while four others were injured in retaliatory fire by the BSF.
Fearing a fresh flare-up Pakistan on Saturday suggested India to hold an urgent meeting of the two countries’ Director General Military Operations (DGMOs) in order to discuss the prevailing situation.
According to official sources, eight-year-old minor Aslam Hussain and his father Akram Hussain were both killed due to splinter injuries after one of the mortar shells went off outside their temporary house in Jeora farm area, 500 metres away from the BSF’s Tentguard post around 2.20 am.
Four other members of the family, including mother and wife of Akram Hussain and two children, were injured. All four of them are currently undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu along with the BSF jawan.
Reacting to the escalating tension on the border, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who was in Visakhapatnam to commission the first indigenously-built stealth anti-submarine warfare corvette ‘INS Kamorta’, said, “This is a fact that of late, these ceasefire violations by Pakistan have increased. But let everybody be assured that both our Army and BSF, who are respectively guarding the line of Control (loC) and the International Border, are fully vigilant. They effectively respond to each violation and I have full faith and the country must have full faith that they are effectively protecting both our territory and national interest.”
Inspector General, BSF Jammu range, Rakesh Sharma said, “Pakistan is clearly showing signs of frustration and targeting our civilian areas. We too are retaliating and giving them a befitting reply.”
Several forward villages in RS Pura area wore a deserted look. Only a handful of men folk were seen roaming in Abdullain, Chakrohi and Nikowal areas to look after their livestock. More than 20 ceasefire violations have been reported in the area since August 1, 2014.
Hundreds of border residents camping in Government High School, Rangpur in Baspur Bungalow and ITI college building in RS Pura claimed that it is becoming difficult for them to stay in their village houses due to intense Pakistani shelling for the past several days.
The villagers of Abdullian, falling in the direct line of fire, claimed that for the last four days they have not slept properly. “It is not possible for us to even tie down livestock in the house verandah, switch on the bulbs and cook food sitting in the courtyard in the evenings.”
The children have not been visiting schools for fear of getting trapped. The school on Suchetgarh village falls in the direct line of fire of Pak rangers. Villagers in Koratona Khurd and Vidhipur Jattan suffered maximum damage as mortar shells pierced roof tops of several houses in the area. Bullet marks dotted the walls of numerous houses in the area before villagers decided to rush to safety late Friday evening in tractor trolleys.
District Administration in Jammu has made temporary arrangements as per their contingency plan to accommodate disturbed border residents in Government buildings. DC Jammu Ajeet Sahu and senior Minister Raman Bhalla visited border areas in RS Pura sector and interacted with villagers. Jammu & Kashmir MoS for Home Sajjad Kitchloo also handed over relief/compensation cheque to the kin of the deceased.