Pakistan violates ceasefire in Jammu again, civilians injured

Violating the ceasefire for the 14th time in the past 12 days, Pakistani troops on Friday targeted two border out posts and border hamlets injuring a villager and damaging some houses along the International Border in Jammu sector drawing retaliation from Indian troops.

Pakistani Rangers resorted to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing on two BoPs along IB in R S Pura sub-sector of Jammu district around 0100 hours, a Border Security Force officer said.

BSF troops guarding two BoPs along IB, took positions and responded with equal calibre weapons which resulted in intermittent exchange of fire, which continued till 0500 hrs.

Pak troops fired mortar bombs which hit several houses in border villages in R S Pura in which one Harnam Singh of Biju village was injured, triggering panic and fear in the area.

This is the 14th ceasefire violation along the Indo-Pak border during the past 12 days, and the 16th ceasefire violation in August. On August 20, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire twice in Mangalnarh forward belt of Rajouri’s Manjakote sub-sector and Hamirpur sub-sector of Poonch district.

On August 19, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire twice by resorting to firing at Indian forward posts along the LoC in Hamirpur sub-sector of Poonch district.

On the intervening night of August 17 and 18, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy night-long mortar shelling and firing in Arnia and R S Pura sub-sectors of Jammu district, in which one villager was injured.

Pakistan troops had violated the ceasefire twice on August 17 by resorting to heavy firing with automatic and small arms along Arnia sub-sector along IB and Hamirpur sub-sector along Line of Control in Jammu and Poonch districts.

On August 14, Pakistani troops had resorted to unprovoked small arms and automatic weapons firing on Indian posts in Poonch district. There were two other violations in Balakote and Hamirpur sectors in Poonch on August 14.

On August 13, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire by resorting to firing on forward posts along LoC in Poonch district, in which one jawan was injured.

Pakistan violated the ceasefire on August 12 by firing on 5 BoPs and civilian areas along the IB in Jammu district. On August 11, two BSF jawans were among four persons injured when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire in Arnia and R S Pura belts of Jammu district and on August 10, Pakistan violated ceasefire along LoC in Poonch district.

Authorities on Friday asked Jammu border residents to keep indoors at night along Indo-Pak border in view of the Pak shelling.