Special Operation Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel inspecting the spot where militants attacked a Border Security Forces (BSF) vehicle in Pulwama recently. Photo: PTI
In a major ceasefire violation that lasted throughout the night, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar shelling and fired with automatic weapons at 20 Border Out Posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Jammu sector, leaving a villager injured.
“Pakistan Rangers armed with heavy weaponry resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing of automatic weapons on 15 to 20 Border Out Posts (BoPs) in Arnia and RS Pura sub-sectors in Jammu district around 2130 hours last night”, a BSF officer said on Monday.
The BSF troops responded with equal calibre weapons to Pakistan’s firing which resulted in intermittent exchanges of fire, which stopped around 6:30 a.m., the officer said.
An elderly villager identified as Attar Singh of Treva hamlet was injured in the mortar shelling, he said.
There were reports that Pakistani Rangers also fired 82-mm mortars on BoPs and some civilian areas in Arnia and RS Pura. Most of the borderline in RS Pura and Arnia was shelled by the Pakistani Rangers throughout the night, making it the biggest ceasefire violation this year.
The cross-border firing comes ahead of the August 25 Foreign Secretary talks between India and Pakistan.
This is the 11th ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along LoC and IB in Jammu region during the past 10 days .
- LoC tensions in August
- 17th August:
After a two-day lull, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice on Sunday by resorting to heavy firing with automatic and small arms along International Border and Line of Control in Jammu.
- 16th August:
Two Border Security Force personnel were killed and four others wounded when militants attacked their vehicle in the Quail area of Pulwama
- 14th August:
Pakistani troops fired at forward Indian posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
- 11th August:
Two troopers and two women injured in unprovoked firing by the Pakistan Rangers at four Indian positions on the international border in Jammu district Firing at the Johra Post, Nowa Pind, Jogna Chak and Tent Post at around 4.15 am.
- 8th August:
Pakistani troops target Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the LoC at Bhimbher Gali sub-sector in > Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir at 10.30 pm. The Indian Army troops responded with equal calibre weapons to Pakistan’s firing which resulted in intermittent exchanges of fire.
- 5th August
Pakistani troops targeted Indian forward posts along the LoC in Sher Shakti forward belt of Poonch district.