Pak Rangers again violate ceasefire; BSF jawan killed

In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistan troops opened unprovoked firing on Indian posts along the international border in Jammu district on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, a Border Security Force Jawan injured in shelling on Thursday night succumbed to his injuries.

Pakistan has violated the ceasefire 11 times in the past 13 days along the international border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

"There was heavy cross-border small arms firing on Indian posts along the IB in Abdullian and Korotona Border Out Posts from Pakistan in R S pura sub-sector this morning around 0730 hours", a senior BSF official said.

Pak Rangers opened heavy and unprovoked firing, he said adding BSF troops, guarding the border took positions and effectively fired back.

BSF jawan Chander Rai of 135 Battalion of BSF guarding the Abdullian BoP, who was injured in mortar shelling and firing by Pakistan on IB in R S Pura border belt last night, succumbed to injuries at midnight.

Pakistan Rangers fired mortar shells and later opened heavy firing on Indian post of Abdullian in R S Pura sub-sector of Jammu district around 1940 hours last night and it came to a halt around 2350 hours.

Panic gripped the border hamlet of Abdullian, where most front-line houses were hit by bullets.

There were three ceasefire violations by Pakistan in past 12 hours in the R S Pura sector.

There were two ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Pansar Border Outpost along the international border in Samba sector and Krishnagati forward belt along the LOC, barely hours after sweets were presented to BSF troops and the army on Independence Day by their Pakistan counterparts.

India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the international border in the state.

There were 35 ceasefire violations this year followed by 51 in 2011, 44 cases of ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir were registered in 2010 and 28 in 2009.

Pakistan troops had fired on several Indian posts along the Indo-Pak border in Krishnagati sub-sector of Poonch district on August 8.

The firings and ceasefire violations by Pakistan came close on the heels of detection of 400-meter long tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba sector on July 28 and subsequent lodging of strong protest over the issue on July 31.

"All activities across the LoC are continuously monitored. Measures like strengthening of defences, deployment and re-deployment of troops, infrastructure development and military modernisation are factored into our plans," officials said.

A brigade commander's flag meeting was held on June 23, 2012, at Chakan-Da-Bagh, LoC point in Poonch sector to bring to a halt the Pakistan firing.