Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing on several BSF posts along the India-Pakistan border in Hiranagar and Samba sectors of Kathua and Jammu districts at around 9.30pm Friday night, drawing a strong retaliation from India that killed three Pakistan Rangers.
Pakistani troops targeted villages and 13 border outposts in heavy shelling since Friday night along the border in Kathua and Samba districts in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving six civilians injured.
The latest round of ceasefire violations by Pakistan which started on New Year eve has left a BSF jawan dead and seven others injured while five Pakistani Rangers have been killed in retaliatory firing by India till Friday.
"Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked and heavy firing and mortar shelling on posts and civilian areas along IB in Samba and Kathua districts since 9.30pm last (Friday) night," Inspector General of BSF Rakesh Sharma said.
"BSF troops gave a befitting reply resulting in exchanges which stopped at 3am in the morning," the IG said, adding that Pakistan again started mortar shelling and firing targeting civilian areas since 7am and it is going on intermittently.
He said that all BoPs in three battalion areas of Samba and Hiranagar sub-sectors in Kathua district were targeted.
Four persons, including two women, were injured in Nauchak village in Kathua while 300 people have been shifted, officials said.
Two persons were injured in Baingallar border hamlet in Samba, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Samba, Anil Magotra said, adding that firing exchanges were going on intermittently.
The injured have been shifted to hospital, he said.
The SSP said that buses have been kept ready for evacuation and "we are waiting for the firing and shelling to stop so that people are shifted to safer areas in shelter camps".
People have taken shelters in bunkers and are not venturing out, he said.
Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary told PTI that two women were among the four injured in the firing and shelling in civilian areas in Hirangar belt.
"300 people have been evacuated. Others may be shifted if required," he said.
Ambulances and doctors have been deputed at Hiranagar and three buildings have been made operational as relief camps keeping in view the volatile situation prevailing in the area, he said.
Eight BSF posts of Patti, Pansar, Londi, Bobiya, Chakara, Lacchipura in Kathua district and seven border outposts in Samba district, including Manguchack, Chilyadiya, Regal, Chachval, Ramgarh, Maluchack and Nanga posts came under fire.
All villages in Paharpur, Katau, Charu, Londi, Patti, Chakara, Lacchipura, Bobiya, Pansar, Manyari, Karol and Paharpur in Hiranagar sector, Khwara, Regal, Chilyari, Manguchak, Chachyal, Ramgarh, Maluchak, Suchetgarh Kullian and Mawa in Samba sectors were targeted by the Pakistani Rangers.
Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary along with senior officials is camping in Hiranagar to monitor the situation and coordinate relief and rescue operations.
All sarpanchs, panchs, lumbderdar and prominent persons in 57 border villages have been instructed to communicate to the public regarding safety measures. Relief camps have also been kept in preparedness, he said.
On Friday night, the force had thwarted a "major infiltration attempt" from across the border.
Under the cover of shelling and firing, the Rangers tried to push a group of seven to eight heavily armed militants from forward area of Chor Gali in Samba sector at 11.30pm.
The alert BSF jawans spotted the militants intruding towards the Indian territory and opened heavy firing towards them. The militants fled back to Pakistan.
Border Security Force (BSF) director general DK Pathak, who briefed home minister Rajnath Singh about the situation at 10pm on Friday, said the force had thwarted a "major infiltration attempt" from across the border and his troops were on high alert.
"We have foiled a major infiltration bid that was being carried out from across the Chorgali border outpost under the cover of heavy ceasefire violation firing."
The late-night ceasefire violation was the fourth by the Rangers in as many days and the eighth in the last nine days.
Home minister Singh reportedly ordered the BSF to respond with "appropriate" action after firing started Friday. Singh also said the firing was unprovoked.
On the other hand, Pakistan's military has claimed that "unprovoked firing" from Indian side across the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir has killed a 13-year-old girl and wounded a child.
In a statement, the military says the latest cease-fire violation took place Saturday near the city of Sialkot. It says Pakistani security forces returned fire.
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