Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 11: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was seriously injured when Pakistan Army opened firing on the Line of Control (LoC) at Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district this afternoon, violating ceasefire.
“No movement of infiltrators was visible at the spot”, official sources said describing the firing as “unprovoked”.
Army spokesman Col RK Palta said, “we exercise restraint and didn’t retaliate. We would be lodging a strong protest with Pakistan Army on ceasefire violation”.
Sources said Pakistan Army opened firing around 12.15 pm today from their forward Bhattal Post targeting forward Indian posts of Kirpan-I, Kirpan-II and Kranti in Nangi Tekri area of Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district.
The firing continued for about half an hour in which BSF jawan RK Mishra of 94 battalion was seriously injured. He was evacuated from the firing site and airlifted to Command Hospital in Udhampur in view of his critical condition.
Indian side, however, didn’t retaliated and exercised restraint. Firing from Pakistan side stopped after about half an hour.
Army and BSF jawans deployed in the forward areas conducted patrolling along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector to ensure that there was no infiltration by the militants under the cover of firing by the Pakistani troops.
“There were no signs of any infiltration attempt. The militants hadn’t ventured to intrude into this side under the cover of firing”, sources said, adding it was difficult for the ultras to make any bid to infiltrate from the LoC during the day time.
According to sources, Indian Army would lodge a strong protest on hotline with Pakistan Army officials over ceasefire violation by them leading to serious injuries to a BSF jawan.
Only two days back, three militants had tried to infiltrate from Janghar area of Nowshera sector in Rajouri district. Troops had thwarted the intrusion bid successfully and forced the militants to retreat. However, during infiltration bid by the militants in Nowshera sector, there had been no ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army to give cover to the infiltrators.
The same night another intrusion bid was foiled by the troops in Mendhar sector.
During past couple of months, a number of infiltration attempts have been made by the militants on the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch sectors and Samba on the International Border but all of them have been foiled by Army and BSF.
A BSF jawan had lost life in Samba sector in firing by the Rangers while an intruder was gunned down by the BSF jawans in the same sector.
Sources anticipated increase in intrusion bids during the summer months.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel