Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 1: Pakistan Rangers again opened heavy shelling and firing violating ceasefire and targeting 13 forward posts of the BSF apart from civilian areas at Khwara, Regal, Suchetgarh Kullian and surrounding villages in Samba sector even as BSF today said it would lodge strong protest with Pakistan over unprovoked firing in which a BSF jawan was killed and another seriously injured yesterday.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy shelling and firing in early hours of this morning targeting 13 posts of the BSF and civilian areas in Samba sector prompting the BSF to retaliate immediately and effectively.
The exchange of firing continued for about two hours. There were, however, no casualties or damage on the BSF side or civilians in firing by the Rangers. Several bullets and mortar shells fell in the civilian areas.
Effective retaliation by the BSF silenced the guns of Rangers.
The violation comes after four Pakistani Rangers were yesterday killed in BSF’s strong retaliation after a jawan of the force lost his life while another was seriously injured in heavy firing from the other side on a patrol along the International Border in Samba sector.
However, there was no firing in any area along the IB during the day today.
The fresh mortar shelling and firing by the Rangers has led to wave of panic among the civilians living in the forward areas as they felt that Pakistan could again resort to unprovoked shelling in the civilian areas just like the months of August and September last year when a number of civilians were killed or injured in shelling in Arnia, Samba and RS Pura sectors and scores of houses were damaged while more than 30,000 people had to migrate.
As situation further aggravated along the International Border-this time in Samba sector, DG BSF DK Pathak today briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the situation prevailing in Jammu frontiers and steps being taken by the BSF to protect civilians living in the forward areas.
He gave detailed briefing to the Union Home Minister on effective retaliatory firing brought down by the BSF yesterday and today to silence guns of the Rangers.
Meanwhile, IG BSF Jammu Frontiers, Rakesh Sharma told reporters that BSF will lodge a strong protest with Pakistan over the ceasefire violations along IB in Samba sector.
“India will launch a strong protest with Pakistan over fresh ceasefire violations at the International Border here that has left a BSF jawan dead and another injured,” he said.
“They (Pakistan) have violated the norms on International Border. We are going to lodge strong protest to them (over ceasefire violation),” Sharma said.
He said that about 50-60 terrorists are waiting to sneak into the Indian side in Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan.
“There are about 50-60 terrorists at the launch pads on the other side waiting at the international border,” he said adding that security measures have been intensified on the Indian side to check any untoward incident.
Asserting that BSF never fires “first” towards the Pakistan side along the International Border, Sharma said the neighbouring country should be ready to suffer collateral damages if the Indian side retaliates.
“If Pakistan rangers fire on us, we will also fire on them. If they suffer collateral damages (in our action), they (Pakistan) should be ready for that,” Sharma said at the BSF Headquarters at Paloura after paying tributes to Sri Ram Gowria, a BSF jawan, who was killed in Pakistan firing yesterday.
After tributes and completion of legal formalities body of Gowria was sent to his native town in Rajasthan with full honours.
Asked whether there were instructions from the Centre to give befitting reply to Pakistan, Sharma said: “here were already clear instructions in the past as also this time and will continue in future too.”
“But we never open fire on Pakistan first. You have seen that we have never fired first on the Pakistan on IB. If we are being fired upon, we will not sit silent…We will retaliate,” the IG BSF said.
He termed yesterday’s firing by Pakistan as an act of frustration.
“See how Pakistan Rangers have snipped the patrol party of BSF. This is utter frustration of Pakistan as they are not getting an opportunity to infiltrate into this side,” the Jammu BSF chief said.
Asked about the reason behind the continuance of the firing incidents from across the border, Sharma said, “Whenever there is an internal problem in Pakistan, they try to engineer ceasefire violations in a bid to divert attention of its general public there– both on LoC and International Border. This is their deliberate conspiracy.
“It is beyond our comprehension why Pakistan is resorting to firing on our borders. One reason is that their internal disturbances as their internal situation is very bad in wake of terror attacks there and may be to divert the attention of the public”.
On the issue of terror infrastructure across IB, the IG said it was difficult to tell the exact number of militants ready to infiltrate to this side.
He said there could be 50-60 militants waiting for opportunities to infiltrate into this side.
“We have increased the deployment for area dominations. As far as the winter strategy is concerned, our security grid is strong on the borders,” he said.
“There are various smaller militant groups waiting for opportunity to infiltrate into this side of the border and carry out some terror attacks. But there is a high degree of vigilance on the borders and despite the adverse weather conditions, BSF men are dominating and patrolling areas round the clock,” he added.
“Winter strategy is in place on the borders. We have tight security on the borders. Our manpower on the borders and jawans are very alert and vigilant, whether it is day or night,” Sharma said.
About reports that some ‘fidayeens’ also carry out firing from across the border, the IG said, “There are reports, but the (yesterday’s) firing was carried out by Pak Rangers.”
Yesterday’s retaliation by BSF came on a day when the Government had asked the force to provide a “suitable and appropriate reply” for any unprovoked firing from across the Indo-Pak border.
Over 550 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan occurred last year, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, with the Indo-Pak border witnessing the worst such escalation during August to October which left 13 people, including 2 security personnel dead, and thousands displaced.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Line of Control and International Border witnessed 562 violations in 2014, with increased shelling, firing, Border Action Team and sniper attacks on civilian areas and forward posts by the Pakistani troops.
As many as 410 ceasefire violations were reported along IB and 152 violations along LoC, in which 19 people, including 5 jawans, were killed and over 150 injured, besides scores of cattle perishing.
Last year has seen the highest ceasefire violations by Pakistan, targeting civilian areas and forward border posts along LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir during last 11 years of its existence.
As per the data of the Ministry of Defence on sector-wise violations in 2014, the highest ceasefire violations (CFVs) have been reported from Jammu sector where there have been 347 CFVs, followed by 63 such violations along IB, 53 CFVs in Bhimbher Gali sector and 21 in Gurez sector along LoC.
In 2013, there were 347 ceasefire violations by Pakistan, including 199 along LoC and 148 along IB in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 12 security personnel were killed, according to the figures.
Pakistan had violated the ceasefire agreement with India on 114 occasions in 2012, including 93 CFVs along LoC and 21 along IB, in which 9 people including 5 security men and 4 civilians were killed.
The corresponding number was 62 in 2011, including 51 along LoC and 11 along IB, in which five security men were martyred, according to the data.
In 2010, Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement with India on 44 occasions, in which two Army personnel were killed.
There were 28 violations reported in 2009, followed by 77 in 2008, 21 in 2007 and three in 2006, according to the data.
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