*GREF vehicle hit; one dead, 4 hurt
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 1: Army this afternoon launched yet another major offensive against Pakistani troops at Bhimber and Battal sectors along Line of Control (LoC) between twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri killing six Pakistani troopers and injuring five and silencing the enemy guns, which had been raining mortars in Krishna Ghati and Nowshera sectors in which a civilian GREF labourer was killed and four others were injured in the morning.
This was third fierce retaliatory action undertaken by the Indian troops exactly during past one month after Pakistan army and their Border Action Team (BAT) had mutilated two Indian soldiers in Krishna Ghati sector on May 1.
Sources told the Excelsior that major counter attack against the Pakistan army, which was undertaken this afternoon from Bhimber and Battal sectors of Rajouri and Poonch districts, was necessitated to decimate Pakistani posts, which were raining mortars on Indian civilian areas and were also preparing to facilitate infiltration attempts into the Indian territory.
“In the major retaliation by the Indian Army, six Pakistan army personnel were killed and five others seriously injured,” sources said, adding the casualty figure of the enemy troops were based on credible reports received from across LoC. Six ambulances were seen carrying dead and injured Pakistan army jawans to the hospitals.
Some of the Pakistani posts and bunkers were also destroyed in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops, sources said, adding that mortar shelling and firing by the Pakistani troops stopped immediately after Indian forces undertook retaliatory action. Pakistan also claimed that their one civilian was killed in retaliatory firing by the Indian Army.
“Pakistan camp immediately went in a huddle following counter offensive by the Indian Army soldiers and were seen shifting their dead and injured to hospitals and relocating their forward posts and bunkers, which had been decimated in retaliatory firing from this side,” sources said, adding that the Indian troops have further strengthened their positions to meet with any kind of retaliation from Pakistan side.
The strong Indian retaliation came at a time when Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat and top Army Commanders were camping in Kashmir for high-level review of security situation.
This was third major offensive and pre-emptive strike by the Indian Army against Pakistan after May 1 mutilation of two soldiers in Krishna Ghati sector on the LoC in Poonch district. Prior to this, troops had carried out two major actions at Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch and Nowshera sector in Rajouri decimating forward posts of Pakistan army and killing and injuring their soldiers.
Sources didn’t rule out more such offensive actions against Pakistan army to keep ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts by the militants to minimum on the LoC.
Earlier in the morning, Pakistan army resorted to ceasefire violations at 7.20 am targeting forward Army posts and civilian areas in Krishna Ghati and Nowshera sectors on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts respectively.
Balnoi, Salhutri, Nangi Tekri and Mankote areas in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch came under intense shelling with Pakistan army using 120mm and 82mm mortars, automatic weapons and small arms firing in targeting civilian population. Intensity of shelling and firing was comparatively less in Nowshera sector as compared to Krishna Ghati.
A GREF vehicle, engaged in construction work at Balnoi Forward was directly hit by a mortar shell fired by the Pakistan army, leading to injuries to four workers including the driver, one of whom later succumbed to his injuries.
A BSF Havaldar Mohammad Nizam-ud-Din was also injured in the shelling.
The civilian GREF labourer killed in the firing has been identified as Mohammad Parwaiz, 28, son of Mohammad Rashid R/o Mandi, Poonch. Three injured GREF workers have been identified as Radhe Krishan, driver of the vehicle, Sarwan Singh and Haroon Rashid, both locals. All the injured have been hospitalized after being evacuated from the site of shelling and firing.
Sources said mortar shelling stopped soon after the Indian Army launched massive counter attack against Pakistan in two sectors.
Indian Army retaliated shelling and firing in both Krishna Ghati and Nowshera sectors.
Fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan army came few days after heavy shelling and firing in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district in which three civilians were killed and half a dozen others were injured while nearly 10,000 people were dislocated from the forward areas, who had taken refuge in Government camps and other safer areas.
Meanwhile, Pakistan summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh in Islamabad following Army’s killing.
Pakistan alleged that at least one civilian was killed and four others were injured in the Indian firing in Battal sector this morning.
However, India categorically denied Pakistan charge of resorting to ceasefire violation saying Pakistan started mortar shelling and firing prompting Indian retaliation.
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