Pak extends firing to Kanachak, Ramgarh; complete migration from Arnia villages
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 24: For fourth consecutive night tonight, Pakistan Army, which had taken over forward positions from the Rangers, resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing using long range weapons in Arnia and RS Pura sectors and extending it to parts of Kanachak, Gajansoo and Ramgarh sectors with shells even crossing Arnia town, spreading fresh wave of panic among the people of border areas, who had already migrated from most of the vulnerable villages in the two sectors.
“When the reports came in till midnight tonight, heavy shelling and firing from Pakistan Army and Rangers was going on and the BSF was giving effective and matching reply. Almost entire Arnia and RS Pura sectors and parts of Ramgarh sector including Narayanpur area, Kanachak and Gajansoo along the International Border were rattled with firing but there were no reports of any casualties on the Indian side in tonight’s firing,” official sources said, adding this was for the first time during ongoing hostilities between India and Pakistan that several mortar shells even crossed Arnia town and fell in the fields.
Sources said a war like situation prevailed in border villages of Arnia and RS Pura sectors in Jammu district and parts of Ramgarh sector in Samba district, where majority of people have migrated to safer zones in the Government and private buildings opened for them by the administration.
“Shells and bullets were raining in the borders villages. They were falling in abandoned houses, fields, near the BSF posts and everywhere along the International Border. It’s like a war like situation in the border villages,” they added.
This was for the first time that the Rangers also started heavy firing in Kanachak and Gajansoo sectors. The BSF posts like BT Forward, Gol Pattan, Alfa Machail and Garod in Kanachak and Gajansoo came under heavy firing tonight. The BSF responded effectively.
Meanwhile, Pakistan continued heavy shelling with 82mm mortars and long range weapons in Arnia and RS Pura sectors along the International Border for third consecutive night last night killing cattle and injuring several others besides leading to huge damage of civilian property. A woman died of shock after a mortar shell fell near her house in Suchetgarh sector but there was no other human loss of life as villagers from most of the forwards villages in Arnia and RS Pura sectors have migrated to safer locations.
The Inspector General of BSF Rakesh Kumar Sharma, meanwhile, told the reporters that Pakistan Army has mixed up with the Rangers and was facilitating shelling and firing on forward Indian posts and villages apart from trying to push trained militants into this side. He disclosed that the BSF has killed two militants, who were trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory under the cover of heavy shelling from the Rangers.
In addition to two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, two Pakistan Rangers and three civilians have also been killed while 14 others have been injured in retaliatory firing by the BSF, Sharma said.
A woman Veero Devi widow of Rattan Lal, a resident of Suchetgarh sector died of shock after a mortar shell exploded with a bang in the middle of last night near her house. The woman was evacuated from her house in early hours of this morning but she had breathed her last. Sources said she had no injuries but had died of shock due to big bangs of mortar shell explosions around her house and village. On the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, two civilians were killed and four others including a BSF jawan was injured.
Meanwhile, following heavy shelling in Treva and surrounding villages of Arnia last night, almost entire population of forward villages in Arnia sector tonight migrated to safer locations. All 550 families of Treva and over 100 families from Jabowal tonight took shelter in Government higher secondary school, Salehar while the people from Pindi, Kaku-De-Kothe, Chanana and Changia have been accommodated at Beas Satsang Ghar, Arnia. Nearly 5000 people from forward villages of RS Pura and Arnia sector have already moved to safer locations, which had been identified for them by the Government.
The IG BSF, Jammu Frontiers maintained that Pakistan was not interested in maintaining peace on the borders, which was evident from the fact that the Rangers have not given positive response to 16 attempts made by the BSF on hotline contact with Pakistan calling for Sector Commanders level flag meeting to stop ceasefire violations and restore peace on the borders.
“Despite out 16 calls on the hotline contact with Pakistan calling for the flag meeting at the level of Sector Commanders, Pakistan has not yet responded,” he regretted.
“We have never refused any flag meetings. If Pakistan comes for a flag meeting we will certainly attend it. But as far as our stand is concerned, we have requested them in the past. They have not responded,” he said.
“To share with you, as per the decision taken in the DG level talks, it was decided that as and when there is tension on the border, both the Sector-level Commanders from Indian and Pakistan sides will speak on hot line and resolve the issue,” the IG said.
“We are concerned about it. Peace must prevail along the border. But Pakistan is not doing any efforts to bring peace. It is all up to Pakistan to defuse the situation,” he added.
He said, “In all the case of violations, protest notes have been lodged. Response is always a denial mode. They always deny their involvement in the firing. We always provide them proof also and sometimes they do not even respond.
“The ammunition found are made in Pakistan ordinance factory, its marking is proof of it. It is their mortar shells,” he said.
Asserting that Pakistan Army was clearly facilitating the shelling and firing by the Rangers from across the border, Sharma said there Army has mixed up with the Rangers to target forward Indian posts of the BSF and civil population.
“Pakistan was trying to facilitate infiltration of the militants from the International Border under the cover of shelling and firing. We have several times observed movement of the militants on Pakistan side of the International Border. Several militants have even tried to infiltrate into this side under the covering fire of Pakistan. We have killed two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT),” the Jammu Frontiers BSF chief said.
He pointed out that Pakistan has made 30 ceasefire violations on the International Border since July 16, 25 of which were made in RS Pura and Arnia sectors alone, which were presently being heavily shelled.
The IG said that previously also when, Indo-Pak flag meetings were held, Pakistan had denied the ceasefire violations, adding, ”they are in no mood of holding dialogue at a flag meet, which had cleared their intensions of creating anarchy on the border and give advantage to the militants to infiltrate.”
“We are ready for peace but it was now up to Pakistan to decide whether they want borders to be calm or not,” Sharma said.
He added that BSF is ready to face any challenge and prepared to give befitting reply to the cross border firing. “Very clear cut directions have been issued by the higher authorities to jawans deployed on the borders to give effective reply to Pakistan firing and no leniency will be shown to them,” he said.
“There is reinforcement on the International Border with everything functioning normal. No leaves of troops are being cancelled. We have sufficient manpower to tackle the border situation,” said the IG BSF adding that the civilians are also being safeguarded and our Commanders are providing them time to time details about the prevailing situation.
Sharma further said that sniper shots are also being used from across the border but BSF is well prepared and can give reply to such acts. He asserted said that Pakistan was firing 82 mm mortars for more damage in the civilian areas and added, ”we will fire accordingly with more intensity.”
“Pakistan has also cultivated plantation along the embankment, which is problematic to have clear vision across but still our vigil is tight,” he added.
Responding to queries on the reasons behind escalation of border skirmishes, he said there was internal turmoil in Pakistan and secondly, their troops have failed to maintain alertness levels in the absence of action.
To revive the alertness and to divert people’s attention from the internal turmoil, Pakistani forces were increasingly violating ceasefire, he said.
Sharma, however, asserted that India will not allow any unprovoked firing.
“On 23 August at 2230 hours, Pak rangers started firing on 25 BoPs in R S Pura, Arnia and Akhnoor sectors. In retaliation, all BSF BoPs gave a befitting reply to Pakistani Rangers thereby forcing them to stop firing,” he said.
He however, ruled out any border buildup across the border on the Pakistani side. He also denied reports that Indian Army has been deployed along International Border (IB) following surge in the firing from across.
Replying to another question about use of weapons by Pakistani forces, Sharma said, “Pakistani Rangers first resorted to small arms firing including LMG, MMG and HMG and then fired 52 mm and 82 mm mortar shells which target deep into civilian areas. We counter them whenever they target. We target and destroy Pak posts giving them a befitting reply.”
He said BSF is fully prepared along the border throughout the year and BoPs have been strengthened and there was no shortage of manpower.
Replying to a question on the directive by Home Ministry, the BSF IG said there are clear instructions from the top to BoPs level asking troops to give strong befitting reply.
Meanwhile, there was no let up in heavy shelling and mortar firing by the Rangers with entire Arnia and RS Pura sectors remaining like a `war zone’ throughout the last night. Pakistan shelled and resorted to firing with long range weapons targeting 25 Borders Posts of BSF and 19 villages from 10 pm to 7.30 am today.
Several cattle were killed and injured in forward village of Treva in Arnia sector, which bore the brunt of firing last night with maximum damage to the civilian property.
“It was like a virtual war. The shells were landing like anything. The bullets were hitting houses, cattle sheds and other buildings even in far off villages along the border. Several shells and bullets fell inside the houses in Treva and surrounding villages but there was no loss of human life as people had already migrated to safer areas. Some elderly persons and youth, who were still putting up in the villages, had taken shelter in the bunkers for safety,” sources said.
The BSF retaliated from their all forward posts giving effective response to Pakistan’s shelling and firing. The retaliatory firing led to heavy damage on Pakistan side.
The cattle belonging to Sat Pal son of Amar Nath, Subash Chander son of Balak Ram, Behari Lal son of Shankar Dass, Bachan Lal son of Hari Chand and Rashpal Singh son of Sarvdayal, all residents of Treva were either killed or seriously injured in the firing. Cattle of other borders villagers also perished after being hit by mortar shells and long range heavy bullets, fired with automatic weapons by the Rangers.
Apart from cattle, several houses were extensively damaged in Treva, which belonged to Sat Pal son of Chuni Lal, Payara Lal son of Ram Chand Bhagat and Rajesh Singh son of Major Singh among others. A poultry farm of Bachan Lal son of Sain Dass was damaged at Jabowal in Arnia sector.
Sources said several houses and cattle sheds in 19 villages of RS Pura and Arnia sectors were extensively damaged in shelling and firing by the Rangers. Outer walls of most of the houses in the border villages had been hit by splinters of mortar shells and bullets causing them extensive damage.
Sources admitted that there would have been heavy casualties of the civilians in the shelling and firing last night but timely migration by the villagers saved them.
The people, however, regretted payment of meager compensation to them by the district administration for loss of cattle and damage to the houses. They said a cattle costs them Rs 50,000 but the administration was paying only Rs 10,000 for the killed cattle. Similarly, they added, the compensation was very meager for damage caused to the houses. They urged the Government to immediately revise the rates for loss of human lives and cattle in the border firing and damage caused to the property as the border people were suffering for no fault of theirs. They regretted that even the promise made to them by the Congress to allot 5 marlas plot to each border family in the safer areas has not been fulfilled for the past several years.
“We have got only assurances from the Government and nothing else. We had been promised 5 marlas plot in safer zones but the assurance was never implemented on the ground. We are standing like a rock on the borders. Our houses are repeatedly damaged, cattle killed or injured but the Government has never bothers to take our care and pay us adequate compensation,” a number of villagers in Arnia said, adding they had to migrate almost every year but the Government has never thought of their permanent rehabilitation in the safer areas.
The villagers from forward areas putting up in the safer locations, mostly the Government schools, Panchayat Ghars etc were also worried a lot about damage caused to their houses in last night’s shelling and firing. Some youths ventured to their houses in the morning to see the damage after the shelling stopped but couldn’t do much and returned to save their lives as there were fears of fresh firing from across the border.
The villagers said their crop season has already been lost as Pakistan Army had been resorting to firing and shelling directly on civil locations for past more than one month now. “There will be no crops now due to poor Monsoon coupled with Pakistan shelling and firing. Even if it rains, we won’t be able to cultivate the crops in the fields for the fear of our lives,” they said.
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