The fragile peace prevailing along the International border in Jammu was shattered by the Pakistani Rangers on Friday late night as they targeted at least 25 forward Indian posts across different sectors of the International border with heavy volume firing and mortars.
The grave provocation is being considered as one of the biggest ever ceasefire violations from the Pakistani side ever since the peace agreement was signed between the two countries in November 2003.
According to BSF officers, “Pakistani Rangers desperately tried to push trained militants inside the Indian territory and also provided cover fire to them before launching them from different locations in night.”
The BSF, however, claimed to have foiled all the infiltration attempts.
One intruder, possibly the guide of a five-member group of infiltrators, was killed by BSF jawans near Suchetpur Kullian post in Samba in the wee hours.
Following escalation of tension along the IB, the BSF authorities had earlier sounded an alert to foil similar infiltration bids.
As day progressed, BSF authorities sought a flag meeting with their Pakistani counterparts but they didn’t turn up even as BSF officers waited for them for a long time.
The BSF officers later conveyed their protest through a messenger. According to official sources, “Pakistani Rangers had even refused to take back the dead body of the intruder and simply washed their hands of the reported infiltration bid from their side of the border.”
According to official sources, the firing which started around 6.30 pm in Pargwal, RS Pura and Hiranagar sectors in the evening had gradually extended to Kathua and Samba and continued till 4 am.
According to BSF sources, the Pakistani Rangers used automatic weapons and pounded several Indian villages along the border with mortars.
Due to continuous exchange of fire the majority of villagers living in the close vicinity of IB spent sleepless night. Panic-stricken villagers in RS Pura sector are even making up their mind to shift to safer places in the wake of repeated targeting of civilian areas.
large number of villagers while interacting with the visiting team of mediapersons narrated their ordeal and claimed it is becoming difficult for them to stay put in their villages as the Pakistani Rangers are regularly targeting them day and night.