In a fresh offensive, Pakistan Rangers on Wednesday resorted to intensive mortar shelling, possibly aided by Pakistan Army regulars in their forward posts, killing five Indian civilians, including a 10-year-old boy and a woman, and leaving 30 others, including three BSF jawans, injured.

Incidentally on May 20, the Pakistan Rangers had requested the BSF for ceasefire after the Indian border force’s retaliation had led to massive casualty in Pakistan.

In strong retaliatory action, BSF jawans hit hard targeting some of the Pakistan notorious posts deliberately targeting civilian pockets across Arnia and RS Pura. According to official sources at least one Pak ranger was killed in retaliatory fire while three others received injuries.

The total toll has now gone up to 11, including nine civilians and 2 BSF jawans, in the ongoing cycle of border skirmishes across Jammu frontier.

“In a night long shelling/firing from across the border at Jammu International Border Kathua to Akhnoor so far four deaths have taken place and thirty injured. Very sad indeed”, tweeted DGP Dr SP Vaid on Wednesday. One critically injured villager identified as Raghubir Singh later succumbed to his injuries in Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu.

Over 50 border outposts scattered along the 198 km long International Border remained active in the last 24 hours while an estimated number of over 50,000 border residents were directly affected by the firing which continued throughout the night from Pansar to Tawi in RS Pura sector.

During the day, the Pakistan Rangers targeted civilian pockets across three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua. Arnia town was the worst hit and wore a deserted look throughout the day. The business activity in the area has come to a standstill as people from the area have migrated to safer places. According to official sources, two civilians, including a minor boy, was killed in Bainglad area of Ramgarh sector in Samba. The Pakistan Rangers has been targeting the area for last three days.

Both the brothers were playing in their house courtyard while their mother was cooking food around 9.00 am when they were hit by a mortar. Subash Chander, uncle of Krishna said, “Both the children were playing while I was looking after livestock when mortar landed in the house courtyard.”

Younger brother identified as Krishna was killed while mother and elder son received injuries, he said, adding father of the children is working in Vrindaban near Mathura.

Krishna is also expected to be cremated on Thursday.

Another civilian was killed when he was hit by a splinter in Londi village of Hiranagar while two others from RS Pura were killed in the heavy firing. 40-year-old Bhajan Singh, an unmarried man from Samkha, was killed minutes after his family requested him to sleep inside the room. He ignored the request and ended up losing his life. His mortal remains were kept in the relief camp in RS Pura as his final rights are scheduled for Thursday morning.

A senior BSF officer said three BSF jawans also received injured in Ballad post in Ramgarh sub-sector on Wednesday.

The soldiers were later discharged after first aid treatment.

A senior BSF officer told The Pioneer, “Pakistan Army regulars have reportedly joined Pakistan Rangers. At least four of them were injured in the retaliatory action and one was confirmed fatal injury.

Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Hemant Kumar Sharma told The Pioneer, an estimated number of 50,000 to 60,000 border residents have been affected due to border firing and have shifted from their homes to safer places. He said they have set up 15 relief camps across three districts where an estimated 2,700 people are accommodated so far. He said he have taken up the issue of augmenting number of bulletproof bunkers to safely evict border residents stranded in their villages during mortar shelling. “We are also going to start construction work of individual bunkers soon for border residents in the most affected pockets,” he added.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Thursday, 24 May 2018 | Mohit Kandhari | Jammu