Woman killed as Pakistan Rangers violate ceasefire along International Border
Jammu: Jammu: In fresh ceasefire violation ahead of the Prime Minister's visit here, Pakistani Rangers on Wednesday resorted to mortar shelling in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district leaving a woman dead and three others injured, including a BSF jawan. The firing also triggering an exchange of fire with BSF troops, which, was still going on when last reports, came in.
"The Pakistani Rangers opened 'sniper fire' on a BSF constable guarding a border outpost along the International Border in Kanachak sector of Akhnoor tehsil in Jammu district around 0845 hours," a senior BSF officer said.
As BSF troops tried to evacuate the injured jawan in a vehicle, they were heavily fired upon by Pakistani Rangers, he said. The BSF troops took positions and retaliated, resulting in exchange of fire. The injured jawan Anjali Kumar has been hospitalised.
Pakistani Rangers also targeted civilian border areas by resorting to small arms firing and shelling of mortar bombs in Bhalwal Bharth, Malabela, Siderwan areas and BoPs at 0910 hours, a police officer said.
Three mortar shells landed deep inside Kanachak sector along the IB, they said. A 42-year-old woman identified as Poli Devi died in the mortar shelling while 24-year-old Ramesh Kumar and 38-year-old Udha Devi suffered injuries, he said.
The firing and shelling was resorted by 21 Chenab Rangers (Pakistan) from their Azam, Peer Garana, Melabela- Stop on Siderwan and Malabela BoPs of BSF on this side. The firing comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu on July 17 to attend the centenary celebrations of former state Finance Minister Girdhari Lal Dogra.
This is the seventh ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops this month. On July 9, Pakistani troops had fired at a forward border post in North Kashmir killing a BSF jawan. Earlier on July 7, Pakistani troops had fired on forward posts along the LoC in Poonch district in which one jawan was injured.
On July 6, Pakistani troops resorted to night-long firing and mortar shelling targeting six Border Out Posts (BoPS) and some villages along the Indo-Pak border in Arnia sector of Jammu district. A BSF jawan was killed on July 5 in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Nougam sector in Kashmir Valley on July 5.
On July 5 night, Pakistani Rangers had violated the ceasefire twice and also resorted to small arms firing on BoPs along IB in Arnia sector of Jammu district.
