Pakistan continues firing at Jammu and Kashmir border, India hits back

Mangalore Today News Network

Jammu, Oct 08, 2014:  Hours after registering a protest with the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) against India, the Pakistani troops on Tuesday night continued to fire bullets and mortar shells in Jammu and Kashmir.

Twenty people, including 15 civilians, were injured in overnight Pakistani firing.

On Wednesday morning, the Pakistan Rangers again targeted Indian positions in Hira Nagar sector of the international border in Kathua district.

"Four Army soldiers were injured in Pakistan firing on the LoC in Poonch district, one BSF trooper and 15 civilians were injured in firing by Pakistan Rangers on the international border in Jammu district during the night.”

"Pakistan has again started firing at BSF positions and civilian areas in Hira Nagar sector of the border in Kathua district on Wednesday morning," a senior police officer told IANS in winter capital Jammu.

In retaliation to Pakistan targeting civilian habitations in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Home Ministry today put on hold a scheduled flag meeting between Pakistan and Indian paramilitary forces to discuss the recent hostilities.

Union Minister of State (PMO) Jitendra Singh, who represents the Jammu Lok Sabha seat in Parliament, is arriving here on Wednesday to review the border situation.

More than 20,000 residents of 30 villages along the international border in Jammu region have been shifted to safer locations.

Indian and Pakistani troops clashed again on Tuesday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, sparking fear at the border and forcing thousands to flee to safer places.


Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Manish Mehta told a news agency that the Pakistani Army used small arms to fire at Indian positions in Balnoi sector in Poonch district.

"The firing started at 2:20 pm and it is still going on. Our troops have effectively retaliated," he said. There were no fresh casualties on the Indian side.

Later, the Pakistani Army again opened fire on Indian positions at Hamirpur in Poonch at 4:20 pm.

"They used mortars and small arms after which our troops retaliated effectively with same calibre weapons," said Mehta, adding no casualty or damage has been reported on the Indian side.

Paramilitary Pakistan Rangers again started opened fire with automatic weapons and mortars at Border Security Force border posts and civilian areas in RS Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak and Hira Nagar sectors of the international border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts late Tuesday evening after attacks in the day.

"Pakistan Rangers started unprovoked firing at 8 pm. BSF is now retaliating using same calibre weapons," a police officer told a news agency, adding people from areas close to the border have already been moved to safer places.

The latest violation of the 2003 ceasefire along the Jammu and Kashmir border has sparked fresh tensions along the border. Indian officials have said an estimated 20,000 people have fled their homes in border areas.

In Islamabad, Pakistan registered a protest with the UNMOGIP. The UN group would visit the affected areas, Geo News quoted the Pakistani military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as saying.

For the first time, the Rangers and BSF failed to exchange sweets on the border on Monday on the occasion of Eid.

On Tuesday, BSF Director General DK Pathak visited BSF border outposts in Jammu and Samba districts.

Journalists who visited the border villages were told that the Pakistani firing was "very heavy".

BSF officers say that Pakistani forces have intensified attacks on Indian border posts in a desperate bid to give cover to Islamist militants trying to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir.

But Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah denied this, telling a news channel that the real reason for the turmoil on the border was the internal situation in Pakistan.

Abdullah said the Pakistani aggression was a major challenge to the Modi government and simply lodging a protest with Islamabad won’t do.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday warned Pakistan to stop violating the ceasefire, saying "times have changed in India".