Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 24: After pounding several border villages with heavy mortar shelling and firing last night, Pakistani Rangers tonight again fired 82 mm mortars and resorted to firing using automatic weapons in several forward villages of Samba and Hiranagar sectors, sending fresh wave of panic among the border dwellers and prompting police to deploy bullet-proof bunkers in several villages to evacuate any fresh casualties. Two civilians including a woman were seriously injured in shelling late tonight.
Most of the forward villages in Samba sector and parts of Hiranagar sector were rattled with deafening sound of heavy mortar shelling, which fell in the border villages from 9 pm onwards. Heavy shelling and firing continued till midnight tonight when the reports last came in. Nearly 15 border villages and over dozen BSF posts were being targeted by the BSF in the two sectors tonight, drawing appropriate and adequate response from the BSF, which was anticipating such a misadventure from Pakistan after last night’s shelling.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Regal, Suchetgarh, Mangu Chak, Bobiya, Karol, Patti, Chandre Chak, Muthi Charu, Mawa, Sujanpur and surrounding villages of Samba and Hiranagar sectors were very badly affected by the shelling. Deafening sound of mortar shells was being heard as far as Samba and Hiranagar towns.
Sources said police have sent bullet-proof bunkers to shelling hit villages. A woman Kailasho Devi, 52, W/o Dhyan Chand R/o Mawa, Samba wa seriously injured after a mortar shell fell inside her house. Police evacuated her to hospital in bullet-proof bunker. Another civilian Pritam Chand, 45 was injured in the same village at midnight tonight. Almost all border dwellers in these villages were spending sleepless night due to heavy shelling and firing, they added.
The BSF was retaliating shelling and firing adequately at all the forward places.
Earlier, Pakistani Rangers last night pounded several forward villages and the BSF posts in Samba sector with heavy mortars and firearms causing extensive damage to several houses, educational institutions and parked vehicles apart from killing five cattle and injuring half a dozen others, spreading panic among the villagers, who didn’t venture out of their houses during the day today anticipating more firing from across the border. Three civilians were injured in the shelling and firing taking total number of casualties to one dead and five injured since last evening.
The Rangers used 51 mm, 81 mm and 82 mm mortar shells to target forward posts of the IB, drawing immediate and appropriate response from the BSF, which would lodge written Sector Commander level protest with Pakistan tomorrow over unprovoked shelling and firing in violation of ceasefire agreement and Director General level declaration between BSF and Rangers signed during four days level talks in New Delhi between September 9 and 12.
IG BSF, Jammu Frontiers, Rakesh Sharma told the Excelsior that the Pakistani shelling and firing was completely unprovoked, which has shattered over one and half month long peace and tranquility prevailing along the IB after September 9-12 talks between the two countries.
“We have prepared our strong worded written protest, which will be handed over to the Rangers tomorrow,’’ Sharma said, adding the BSF has been put on high alert all along the IB to ensure that the militants didn’t manage to take advantage of Pakistan firing and shelling to infiltrate into the Indian side.
Official sources said Pakistan targeted nine BSF posts and four forward villages—Mawa, Sujanpur, Patti and Bobiya between Basantar and Tarnah rivers in Samba sector on the IB late last night using 51 mm, 81 mm and 82 mm mortars and heavy fire arms. The BSF responded effectively, leading to heavy exchanges that continued till 5 am today.
Several shells exploded closes or inside houses, schools and cattle sheds in Mawa and parked vehicles causing them extensive damage. Three civilians were injured while five cattle perished in the firing. About half a dozen cattle sheds were injured while more than 20 houses suffered extensive damage after being hit by mortar shells, their splinters and bullets directly.
Like last evening when the Pakistan Rangers had directly opened firing on the labourers repairing fencing at Manguchak in Samba sector killing one of them and injuring two others, last night also, Pakistan directly fired shells aiming the BSF posts and civilian population in the forward villages of Samba sector. However, there were no casualties of BSF or damage on their side but, reports said, two civilians were killed in Pakistan opposite Mawa in Samba sector in retaliatory firing by the BSF.
Three civilians, who sustained injuries in overnight shelling and firing by the Rangers, have been identified as Suraj Singh, Surinder Kumar and Rohit Kumar. All of them were out of danger as they had sustained splinter injuries. Three cattle were killed at Mawa and two at village Bhatti while half a dozen others were injured.
Nearly 20 houses in the forward villages, mostly Mawa, were hit by the splinters of mortars and suffered moderate to heavy damages. While three civilians were injured in the houses, others had narrow escape in the shelling as they survived hiding themselves behind the walls.
Two mortar shells fell inside New Modern Higher Secondary School at Mawa, damaging the school bus parked inside the premises and portion of the building. However, no one was present inside the school. Several vehicles parked at village Mawa including a matador, tractor-trolley, some bikes etc were also hit by the splinters, damaging them extensively.
A woman Kaushalaya Devi, who lost her cattle at village Mawa, was very upset. Pointing towards the dead cattle, she said they were the only source of their livelihood. One of them was pregnant, she added with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Several people regretted that the administration paid very meager compensation to them for the killing and injuries of cattle and damages caused to their houses.
Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga, MLA Samba Dr Devender Manyal and DC Samba Sheetal Nanda visited village Mawa and handed over paltry amount of Rs 15,000 through the DC and Rs 10,000 cash to Kalu Ram, who lost his three cattle in the Pakistan shelling.
The local people charged the Government with doing nothing for their protection and giving them only assurances and promises of making concrete bunkers or 5 marla plots in safer areas.
“Our crops have also suffered huge damage. Our cattle are getting killed and injured. Our houses and cattle sheds are damaged in the firing but we get compensation worth name only. We can’t do anything with such a meager compensation,’’ the villagers said.
Several live shells were also detected in the fields by the local people. The live shells were taken to isolated areas by the Bomb Disposal Squads and defused safely. The BSF, police and local people were still looking for more live shells in the fields and other places. The people have also restricted their movement in forward areas.
It may be mentioned that this was first major incident of ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Rangers after the Director General level talks between BSF and Rangers in New Delhi from September 9 to 12 in which the two countries had agreed to maintain peace and tranquility on the IB after heavy exchanges of shelling and firing for past several months.
Last evening, Pakistani Rangers had targeted three labourers, who were repairing border fencing at Mangu Chak in Samba sector, killing one of them and injuring two others.
Follow our WhatsApp channel