Border calm after 9 days of Pak. firing

Army chief takes stock of security arrangements for Amarnath Yatra

Bipin Rawat greeting the troops on Thursday.

For the first time in nine days, the International Border (IB) in Jammu was calm on Thursday with Pakistani troops holding fire.

However, an exchange of fire was reported on the Line of Control in the Valley on Wednesday night. Besides, an infiltration bid was foiled in north Kashmir.

Maintain vigil

Army chief General Bipin Rawat, who arrived in J&K on Thursday, asked troops “to maintain extra vigil to defeat the evil designs of hostile forces.” General Rawat also took stock of the arrangements for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to begin on June 27. An official said the IB remained tense, but “no major exchange of fire was reported.”

Eleven people, including two BSF personnel, have died and over 80,000 people living on the border in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts have been affected by the relentless firing and shelling in the past nine days in Jammu.

On Wednesday night, Pakistan army “opened fire from automatic weapons and resorted to shelling on several Army posts along the LoC” in Kamalkote area in Baramulla. No injuries were reported.

On Thursday, in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, the Army foiled an infiltration bid in Keran Sector. “Soldiers manning the fence along LoC near Gogledar area spotted the movement of a group of infiltrators. The group was pushed back after an exchange of fire,” said the Army.

Meanwhile, Army chief Gen. Rawat assessed “prevailing security situation in the hinterland”.

He was briefed by Chinar Corps Commander Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt and the commanders on ground, said the Army spokesman, adding that Gen. Rawat appreciated the measures taken by the units to meet the challenge.

“The Army Chief was appreciative of the measures and Standard Operating Procedures instituted by the units and formations to meet the challenges posed by the inimical elements,” said the spokesman.