After nine days of heavy gunfire and mortar shelling from across the border, firing at the Jammu frontier subsided on Friday even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pakistan has been taught a “befitting lesson” with the army “shutting their mouths”.
There were no reports of any firing by Pakistan along International Border from anywhere in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts or Line of Control,” said Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Zone, Shant Manu.
“It was a peaceful day today after a long spell of shelling and firing,” he said. The cross-border firing paused after a strong retaliatory response by India.
Manu, however, said that people will remain in shelter camps for the next few days until authorities are sure there will not be any resumption in firing from the Pakistani side.
“Pakistan has got a befitting lesson. They will not dare to repeat it again. Our jawans have shut their mouth,” Modi said addressing an election rally in Dhamangaon in Maharashtra.
The last instance of firing by Pakistan along the 192-km long IB was when its Rangers targeted four Border Security Force Border Out Posts in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district for 20 minutes from 8 pm on Thursday night, the spokesman said, adding that earlier around 60 BoPs used to be targeted.
“There was no cross-border firing during the intervening night of October 9 and 10 along the International Border in Jammu and Samba districts,” a BSF spokesman said.
The Indo-Pak border conflict escalation marked by over three dozen ceasefire violations along the IB in Jammu frontier since October one had been the worst since a 2003 ceasefire accord between India and Pakistan.
The firing incidents left eight persons dead and nearly 90 people, including 13 securitymen injured. Also, around 32,000 people have fled from their border homes leaving 113 hamlets deserted along the IB.
India on Thursday sent out a strong warning to Pakistan, saying it will have to bear an “unaffordable” cost if it persists with its “adventurism” even as Prime Minister Modi asserted that aggression from across the border is being responded to with courage.
“We are watching the situation along IB carefully to see what is going to unfold in the coming days,” a senior BSF officer said, adding a close round the clock vigil is being maintained.
“So far as border people are concerned, they will have to stay back in camps. We cannot trust people across,” District Magistrate Jammu Ajeet Kumar Sahu said.
As the fighting de-escalated, the residents of border villages in Jammu who were displaced said they are too scared to return home despite a pause in fighting.
