Srinagar: Thousands of people have fled their homes due to the flare up along Jammu and Kashmir’s borders, which India says was initiated by Pakistan repeatedly violating a November 2003 ceasefire agreement.
The cross border firing has claimed the lives of several soldiers; on Saturday at least two civilians were killed and nine injured and scores of private houses damaged.
Meanwhile, two Army jawans were charred to death and two other security personnel on Friday night received serious burn injuries in a wildfire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara district, allegedly triggered by the firing of a rocket propelled grenade by Pakistani troops.
Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged moderate to heavy small arms and automatic and mortar fire along the International Border (IB) in J&K’s Kathua and Samba districts for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.
BSF officials in Jammu said a woman was killed on Saturday and eight other civilians injured as Pakistani troops, without provocation, targeted villages and 13 Indian border outposts.
In Sialkot, the Pakistani authorities said a 13-year-old girl was killed when the BSF resorted to unprovoked firing across the border in Shakargarh and Zafarwal sectors. They also said that Pakistan’s Chenab Rangers responded “befittingly” to Indian fire.
Pakistani officials said the incident took place just a few days after two of its border guards were killed in Indian firing on December 31 along what it says is a “working boundary.” Pakistan had consequently lodged a protest with India and sought a probe.
