Ceasefire violation continues: Pakistan firing kills 2 women, IAF Chief says matter quite serious

Jammu/Hindon (Ghaziabad): Two women of a family were killed on Wednesday and 15 others injured in heavy mortar shelling and firing by Pakistani troops along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the death toll to eight in the continued ceasefire violations by Pakistan for over a week.

Pakistani Rangers targeted 50 border out posts (BoPs) and 35 hamlets overnight along the 192-km boundary. The escalation has triggered an exodus, with 16,000 people moving to safer areas from border villages.

Over 70 people have been injured in the ceasefire violations by Pakistan, including 15 on Wednesday.

Pakistani Rangers target Chillary village along IB in Samba district around 0730 hours today. In the mortar shelling, Shukuntla Devi and her daughter-in-law Poli Devi were killed while their husbands along with two children of Poli were injured, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Samba, Anil Mangotra said.

All the inhabitants of village with a population 1,700 have fled from border hamlet to safety.

Along the Line of Control (LoC), the firing stopped last night in Mendhar & Poonch sectors after Indian forces gave a befitting reply, defence officials said.

Among the 15 injured today, three were BSF jawans. All of them have been shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) hospital, the SSP said.

Jorda Farm border hamlet was hit by shelling at 0900 hrs, police officials said. Six persons were injured when they were returning after night stay in shelter camp in R S Pura. They were shifted to GMC hospital for treatment, they said.

Earlier, a BSF spokesman today said that "Pakistani Rangers again resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and heavy firing on BSF posts all along IB since 2000 hours last night."

As many as 50 BSF BoPs were affected by the fire from Pakistan side, he said, adding areas along IB in Arnia, R S Pura, Kanachak and Pargwal sub-sectors in Jammu and Samba districts were targeted.

Eight people have been killed and 71 others including BSF jawans injured in Pakistani shelling and firing along LoC and IB in Jammu and Poonch districts in over two dozen ceasefire violations since October 1 this year.

On Monday, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by resorting to heavy firing and shelling in Arnia belt along IB in Jammu in which 5 people were killed and 34 injured.

On October 3, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in Gulamarg sector of Kashmir Valley and in Poonch and Jammu sectors in which a girl was killed and six persons were injured.

Giving further details, the BSF spokesman said almost all the BSF posts in Samba, Hiranagar belt of Kathua district were targeted by Pak Rangers. The firing in some areas of Arnia was still going on this morning.

"BSF troops at all the places gave a strong and befitting reply to fire from Pak," he said.

There has been heavy firing and mortar shelling over 25 to 27 border hamlets in forward areas of Jammu district since last night, District Magistrate Jammu Ajeet Kumar Sahu said.

Over 15,000 people have migrated from border hamlets along IB in Jammu to safer places due to the firing and shelling, the DM said, adding that relief camps have been set up for them.

In Samba and Kathua districts, over 10 to 15 border villages have been targeted by Pakistani Rangers, officials said.

Over 1500 to 2000 people have also migrated from forward villages along IB in Samba and Kathua districts.

Along LoC, the firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Balnoie, Mankote, Mendhar, Bhimbher Gali, Balakote and Poonch forward areas ended last night, Army officials said.

A Junion Commissioned Officer (JCO) Subash Singh was among three army men injured in Sabjian belt of Poonch sector.

Meanwhile, IAF Chief Arup Raha said the ceasefire violations and firing from across the Line of Control are "quite serious" and the government wants a "quick resolution" of the problem there.

"The issue is quite serious and it should not happen. Government is taking it seriously and we want a quick resolution of the problem. We want peace and tranquillity and want the borders to be normal,” said Raha on Wednesday.

"India wants good relations with our neighbours and the government is taking a number of steps in this direction diplomatically and otherwise. We are all concerned and efforts are being made to bring this to an end. All security agencies are concerned the way the things have developed in last few days and we want an early resolution," he said when asked to comment on the ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Border.

Air Chief Marshal Raha was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 82nd Air Force Day parade. Asked about the directives given by the government to the services on the way to handle the ceasefire violations, the IAF chief said, "Directions are very simple that we need to resolve the issue at the earliest. We want peace and tranquillity on the border so that the nation can focus on development and other important issues."