Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 13: There was no let up in heavy firing and ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army and Rangers along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) even as Independence Day of the two countries is approaching. An Army jawan was today injured in Pakistan firing on the LoC.
Sources said situation remained tense on the LoC and IB with Pakistan trying to push the infiltrators through the LoC in Poonch district ahead of Independence Day on August 15 to create disturbances.
Official sources said Pakistan Army opened unprovoked firing on forward Indian positions, violating ceasefire agreement, at 10 am in Bhimber Gali (BG) sector in Poonch district. As Pakistan Army went ahead with firing, the Indian side retaliated effectively giving befitting reply to the other side.
Both sides used small and automatic weapons in the firing that continued for more than one hour.
An Army jawan Naik Nek Ram was injured in the firing, sources said, adding a mine also exploded on Indian side of the LoC during the firing. Troops evacuated the injured jawan from the site of firing and shifted him to local hospital from where he was referred to the Military Hospital, Rajouri.
The injured jawan was responding to the treatment.
“There was no other damage or casualties on the Indian side excepting the injuries cause to Naik Nek Ram, who was manning a forward post in Tarkundi area of Balakote sub sector in BG,’’ sources said, adding the casualties or damage, if any, on the other side were not known.
Meanwhile, the Rangers also resorted to unprovoked firing twice on the IB in Arnia sector last night.
Sources said the Rangers first fired a burst towards a forward Indian post at 9 pm last night but the BSF exercised restraint and didn’t retaliate.
However, at about 1.30 am, the Rangers started heavy firing at Chinaz and Pittal areas of Arnia sector prompting the BSF to retaliate and silence the Pakistani guns. Exchange of firing continued till 4 am, sources said, adding there were no casualties or damage on the Indian side in fresh round of firing.
The people in Arnia sector still refrained from venturing out to the fields during the day anticipating that they might be targeted by the Rangers like in the past. The farmers have been unable to cultivate the crops after heavy firing by the Rangers on the intervening night of August 10 and 11 in which two BSF jawans and two civilians were injured and there was huge loss of civilian property in forward villages of Arnia sector.
The fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army and Rangers came within hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday accused Pakistan of indulging in a proxy war and killing innocent people in India.
BSF and Pakistan Rangers had on Friday last made a commitment to uphold peace and tranquility on the border and extend all cooperation to each other in dealing with emergent incidents in a proactive and positive manner. The assurance was held out by the Rangers in a flag meeting held at Octroi Post in Suchetgarh sector during return of the BSF jawan, who had accidentally crossed over to Pakistan from river Chenab in Akhnoor.
However, the ceasefire violations from Pakistan side have continued despite the assurance.
Security officials feel that the heavy firing and shelling in LoC and IB areas in Poonch and Jammu sectors is aimed at pushing armed militants into Jammu and Kashmir to target Independence Day programmes.
BSF and Army officers said that troops have been put on high alert along LoC and IB in wake of the ceasefire violations, firings and infiltration bids.
They have been asked to give a befitting reply to ceasefire violations and cross border firing incidents.
Police have also been put on high alert in the border districts and additional monitoring and deployment has been done on traditional infiltration routes behind the security grid of Army and BSF along LoC and BSF in border districts of Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region, they said.
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