*Heavy firing in Samba, Hiranagar during night
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 17: Pakistani Rangers today shelled Indian villages directly targeting the civil population working in the fields in forward areas of Pargwal sector in Akhnoor tehsil this afternoon causing injuries to five civilians including three children and two women. About 80 villagers from three forward areas were trapped in the fields for nearly two hours due to heavy shelling and firing by the Rangers and had a narrow escape as they managed to return after the firing from across the border ceased.
At least two Rangers were killed opposite Allah Mai De Kothe post of the Border Security Force (BSF) in RS Pura sector this morning when the latter retaliated to heavy firing and shelling by Pakistan.
After day’s firing at RS Pura and Pargwal, the Rangers again started heavy firing in Samba, Hiranagar and RS Pura sector tonight, which continued till midnight tonight in some of the areas but there was no report of any fresh losses in the late night firing on the Indian side when the reports last came in.
While situation remained normal along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district today after several days of continued shelling and firing on forward Indian posts and villages by Pakistan Army, the Rangers today activated the International Border in RS Pura and Pargwal sectors in Jammu district.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Pakistani Rangers shelled forward Indian villages of Maljodha, Matkoola and Najwal in Pargwal sector on the International Border at 1 pm today. They also targeted forward posts of the BSF in these areas with heavy firing.
One of the mortar shells exploded at Najwal causing injuries to four members of a family sitting in compound of their house while a bullet hit a woman, who was working in the fields.
The BSF jawans retaliated from their forward posts to silence the guns of the Rangers. Intense exchange of firing continued for one and a half hours while intermittent firing lasted till 4.30 pm.
While five civilians were injured in Pakistan shelling and firing, nearly 80 villagers were trapped in their fields at Maljodha, Matkoola and Najwal villages in Pargwal sector during firing by the Rangers. Some of the villagers crawled to safety while others kept lying on the fields to save themselves from Pakistan’s firing as the Rangers apart from BSF posts were directly targeting the forward villages including the fields, where the people were working on bright sunny day today.
The people came out of their fields after the firing ceased.
BSF, police and local people evacuated the injured from the fields and shifted them to Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. They have been identified as Asha Devi, 16, Surjeet Kumar, 14 and Rama Kumari, 12, all children of Sham Lal, Melo Devi, 65, grandmother of the children and Nisha Kumari, 45, wife of Sikandar Singh, all residents of Najwal.
Nisha Kumar had sustained a gun shot while four other civilians had wounds of splinters of a mortar shell.
Sources said the trapped villagers had a narrow escaped and horrifying experience of Pakistan shelling and felling.
“We had forgotten such type of shelling and firing after ceasefire agreement was enforced in November 2003 on the LoC and IB by India and Pakistan. Since then, there had been very few occasions of firing from Pakistan, which too was confined on the BSF posts. It was after nearly 10 years that the Rangers shelled the villages and fields,” said a civilian, Parmanand, accompanying the injured from village Najwal to the GMC Jammu.
Another civilian, Mela Ram of the same village, said: “the people were terrified after today’s firing. They are not going to the fields for next few days. We will watch the situation for at least a week to visit the fields again, some of which were located very close to the International Border”.
To boost morale of the villagers, Housing Minister Raman Bhalla, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Shantmanu, IGP Jammu Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu AK Sahu and SSP Jammu Atul Goel visited forward villages of Pargwal affected by the firing late this evening and assured the people of full protection.
They lauded the courage displayed by the people during Pakistan’s firing and shelling and assured them full support on behalf of the Government.
Mr Bhalla met the people at Narsinghpora, Pargwal, Najwal, Bhatwal, Mulo, Rajpura and Bela Jaman. The villagers demanded their protection from the firing. The Minister asked the administration to prepare a contingency plan for cutting of crops by the villagers and purchase a boat to rescue them in case of heavy firing as the main road also falls under the range of Pakistan firing. He assured Panchayat members and other people that the Government was fully aware of their problems.
Earlier, Mr Bhalla, Shantmanu and Mr Sahu visited the GMC Jammu and inquired condition of the injured. They gave Rs 10,000 each to all five injured from the Red Cross Fund, Suresh Sharma from Red Cross said.
Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who was in New Delhi for medical check up has directed the administration to provide medicare to the injured and visit the spot to boost people’s morale. He also directed the administration to visit all affected villages in Pargwal sector and redress their problems.
Tara Chand spoke to Medical Education Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din and asked him to ensure best possible medical treatment for the injured in the GMC Jammu.
Congress MP from Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat, Madan Lal Sharma also visited the GMC Jammu and inquired condition of the injured. He directed the hospital authorities to take care of the injured.
Speaking to media outside the GMC Jammu, Mr Sharma called for taking stern action against Pakistan for targeting innocent civilians.
BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLA also visited Pargwal and inter-acted with the people. He assured the people of BJP’s full support to them in the hour of crisis created by Pakistan firing and shelling. He said the UPA Government’s `weak policies’ have encouraged Pakistan to commit such acts.
Earlier in the day, the Rangers opened firing on forward BSF posts at Kharkola and Allah Mai De Kothe in RS Pura sector at 9.40 am. The BSF jawans retaliated.
The Rangers fired mortars, rocket launchers, RPG shells and resorted to firing from automatic weapons. The BSF jawans gave an effective response.Heavy exchange of firing continued till 11 am while intermittent firing lasted till 1.30 pm.
Sources said two Pakistani Rangers were killed in retaliatory firing by the BSF.
Pakistan firing triggered panic in forward villages of Agre Chak and Hansu Chak.
Senior BSF officers visited the site of firing and shelling at RS Pura and Pargwal sectors today to review the situation.
At 9.32 pm, Pakistani Rangers resumed firing at Kharkola, Sangral, Mangral and Kathmarian forward villages. The BSF retaliated. Heavy exchange of firing between the two sides continued till midnight tonight but no losses or damage was reported on the Indian side.
The Rangers also opened firing at Kotha Katyala along Chor Nullah in Hiranagar sector at 8.30 pm. The BSF replied the firing, which continued for an hour. There was no damage on the Indian side.
Heavy firing by Pakistan Rangers was reported from Regal area near Ghagwal in Samba sector at 10.30 pm, which was going on till midnight tonight. The heavy firing by the Rangers had created a wave of panic among the people living in forward areas, sources said.
In Poonch district, the LoC gradually remained calm after several days of heavy shelling and firing in which an Army jawan was killed in Mendhar sector. Pakistan Army has also suffered heavy losses.
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