*Two civilians injured, over dozen cattle dead, injured
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 4: Pakistani Rangers last night resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing along the International Border (IB) in Arnia sector causing huge destruction of civilian property in three villages, injuring two civilians and killed or wounding about a dozen cattle while nearly 3,000 people in forward villages of Arnia sector tonight migrated to safer places in the Government schools anticipating that shelling could continue for more days.
While no ceasefire violation was reported on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector today, an Army jawan was killed and another injured when a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted by Pakistan on Indian side near the Zero Line, went off at Balnoi sector at 5 pm today.
Official sources and eyewitnesses told the Excelsior that Pakistani Rangers, who were resorting to firing in Arnia sector since last evening, started heavy mortar shelling targeting over a dozen forward villages and six BSF posts in Arnia at 11.45 pm last night. Initially, the BSF exercised restraint but then gave effective response to silence guns of the Rangers, which had been pounding directly the civilian inhabited villages. The shelling and firing from Pakistan side continued till 5.10 am today.
The BSF didn’t suffer any casualties or damage but two civilians were injured while about a dozen cattle were either killed or injured in heavy shelling and firing from Pakistan side. About 50 houses sustained damage-extensive and partial-after being hit directly by mortar shells and bullets fired from across the IB by the Rangers in about five and half hours long extensive shelling and firing.
The main electricity line at Kaku-De-Kothe was snapped after being hit by mortar shells, leading to disruption of electricity supply in the village. The lines suffered damage and fell in the fields after they too were targeted from across the border. This is for the first time that the Rangers had targeted power lines in Arnia sector. This was not done even during 45 days long hostilities between India and Pakistan from June to August this year when three civilians and a BSF jawan were killed and scores of others were injured in Pakistan shelling and firing.
Dewan Singh, 70, son of Belam Ram and his 10 years old grandson (daughter’s son) Tilak Raj were injured after being hit by splinters of mortar shells, which fell inside their house at Kaku-De-Kothe in the mid-night, sources said, adding that Arnia police parties led by SHO Inspector Kulbir Singh Choudhary risked their lives and evacuated the injured. They were shifted to local hospital from where they were referred to Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu in the morning.
About 50 houses were damage in firing and shelling. Sources said though almost entire Arnia sector was the target of Pakistan shelling and firing last night, three villages including Kaku-De-Kothe, Devigarh and Chanana bore the brunt of shelling with most of the damage reported from there.
Among others, the mortar shells fell inside the houses of Surinder Singh son of Puran Singh, Malkeet Singh son of Ram Lal, Dewan Singh son of Bela Ram, all residents of Kaku-De-Kothe, Chuni Lal son of Amarnath at Chanana and Dharam Pal son of Bargi Ram at Devigarh.
An Alto car of Parveen Kumar son of Hans Raj was also hit by mortar shell at Kaku-De-Kothe and was damaged.
Reports said one cattle of Bhimber Nath son of Prakash Chand Bhagat R/o Devigarh was killed while three others were injured when they were hit by splinters of mortar shells and bullets fired by the Rangers. Another cattle of Bishambar Chand son of Prakash Chand Bhagat R/o Devigarh was killed and three others were seriously injured.
Two dead cattle belonged to Dhaler Singh son of Munshi Ram Jatt R/o Chanana.
The veterinary doctors visited forward villages to treat seriously injured cattle but villagers said most of them might not survive as they had directly been hit by the bullets.
Meanwhile, anticipating fresh shelling and firing by the Rangers tonight, villagers from several forward villages left their houses and migrated to Government schools to survive. In the afternoon, officers of civil and police administration visited forward villages of Arnia and assured the people that if they wanted to shift to safer places, the authorities will open the Government school buildings for them.
Reports said the villagers from Kaku-De-Kothe, Kangna, Treva, Chanana, Pindi, Chingia and surroundings shifted to Government higher secondary school in Slair and Government Higher Secondary School Rehal, Bishnah while the people from Sei, Devigarh and adjoining villages migrated to Government high school at Pindi Charkan and Nirankari Bhawan apart from other available Government buildings.
This is for the second time in about less than two months that the people in Arnia sector had to leave their houses due to Pakistan shelling and firing. In the month of August, they had to migrate under similar circumstances as Pakistan had resorted to heavy shelling and firing in Arnia and RS Pura sectors.
Reports said several mortar shells landed in fields of the people causing extensive damage to the crops. People said earlier they couldn’t cultivate their crops due to Pakistan firing from June to August and now again Pakistani shells were landing in the fields destroying the crops in remaining fields.
Reports said the BSF jawans also retaliated effectively to silence guns of the Rangers. There were reports that Pakistan side has also suffered extensive damage in retaliatory firing by the BSF but exact details were not available.
Meanwhile, amid frequent violations of ceasefire by Pakistan, BSF today told Pakistani rangers not to fire along IB as “it is not good for general public of both the sides”.
“We have told them (Pak Rangers) in the morning (during patrolling) don’t fire it is not good for general public of both the sides,” Inspector General (IG) BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rakesh Sharma said.
“Why are you (Pak Rangers) firing? If you fire, we will also fire,” is what has been conveyed to Pak Rangers during patrolling of IB by BSF troops this morning, he said.
“Pak has habit for firing on IB and LoC without rhyme and reason,” the IG said, adding that, firing has not been on the level which we have seen in August this year.
“The situation is normal and peaceful this time,” he said.
Meanwhile, a powerful IED blast on the Zero Line at Balnoi area of Mendhar sector in Poonch district at 5 pm today killed and Army soldiers and injured another.
Reports said an Army party was patrolling between Chilla and Tekri posts in Balnoi sector when an IED went off. The IED has reportedly been planted either by Pakistan Army or by the militants as the area, where the blast took place, falls along the Zero Line. It couldn’t be ascertained as to whether the IED was detonated by a remote control device or went off with pressure.
Top Army bomb experts have reached the spot to ascertain nature of the explosion and how it occurred.
Army jawan Akshay Godbole of Ist Mahar was killed in the blast while his colleague Shubam was seriously injured. Army evacuated both of them to hospital where Godbole was declared as dead while Shubam was admitted with serious injuries.
Army has stepped up patrolling all along the LoC as there had been reports that about 200 militants were desperate to infiltrate inside the Indian territory ahead of the winter season.
However, there was no report of ceasefire violations on the LoC in Poonch today. Yesterday, a girl was killed and four others were injured in Pakistan shelling in Sabjian sector of the LoC in Poonch.
Meanwhile, people of Sabjian today held a protest demonstration against Pakistan for firing on the civilians leading to death of a teen-aged girl and injuries to four others.
SSP Poonch Shamsheer Hussain visited house of deceased girl and pacified the agitated people. He also got a meeting arranged between local Army Commander and the civilians after which the people called off their protest.
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