Panic grips residents as cross-border fire rocks IB in Kathua-Samba belt
Jammu: Panic gripped the people living in Kathua-Samba belt along the International Border (IB) in the Jammu region on Thursday after Pakistan Rangers pounded the residential areas with heavy firing, damaging over a dozen houses, officials said.
Many villagers had a narrow escape as they ran helter-skelter to protect themselves from the “unprovoked” Pakistani firing, they said.
“Pakistan Rangers targeted the civilian areas with small arms and medium weapons in the Hiranagar sector,” they said.
Around a dozen houses suffered damages and bullets entered the bedrooms of the people, the officials said.
The BSF troops guarding the borderline retaliated strongly to the Pakistani firing, they said.
The incident triggered fear among the people in Chandwan hamlet as they began leaving homes to take shelter at safer places, the officials said.
In the Arnia sector of Jammu district, officials said Pakistan Army fired at people engaged in constructing a road, connecting a cremation ground situated near the IB.
JCBs and tractors used for ferrying dug out soil from the area were targeted, the officials said.
