Jammu: The BSF on Friday said the “unprovoked” firing by Pakistan Rangers along the International Border in Jammu targeting Indian posts and civilian areas continued for close to seven hours.
In an official statement, the Border Security Force (BSF) said the Pakistan Rangers fired mortars and used heavy machine guns, leading to two non-fatal casualties.
BSF Constable Basva Raj suffered minor splinter injuries in both hands due to shelling. A local, Rajni Devi of Arnia, suffered minor injuries, it said.
The force said the Pakistani firing continued for close to seven hours, starting around 8 pm on Thursday and extending up to 2:45 am on Friday.
“BSF continues to monitor the developments closely while assessing the situation and remains alert to respond as necessary to ensure the safety and security of the border and its residents,” the force said.
It said following the start of unprovoked firing, BSF troops retaliated and subsequently Pak Rangers extended their firing to target its border posts adjacent to Arnia prompting retaliation from its forward defence posts in these areas.
At approximately 9:15 pm on Thursday, Pakistan Rangers started mortar firing targeting border outposts and civilian areas, the BSF said, adding some of the shells landed in Arnia town, resulting in minor injuries to a civilian.
“Around 10:40 pm on Thursday, Pakistan Rangers used heavy machine gun fire and targeted our posts. Around 1 am the Rangers again fired and targeted BSF posts, leading to an exchange of fire,” the statement said.
Firing continued till 2:45 am, it said.
The BSF said the condition of the injured jawan was stable while material damage was being ascertained.
The intermittent exchange of fire between Pakistani Rangers and BSF personnel along the International Border in Arnia and RS Pura sectors of Jammu district ended early Friday.
Scores of families that had fled the border hamlets overnight after the unprovoked firing by Pakistani Rangers have now started returning to their homes.
Meanwhile, The intermittent exchange of fire between Pakistani Rangers and BSF personnel along the International Border in Arnia and RS Pura sectors of Jammu district ended early Friday and scores of families that had fled the border hamlets overnight have now started returning to their homes, officials said.
“The firing has stopped (from across the border). There is calm now”, a senior BSF officer said.
Several people in Arnia, Treva, Suchetgarh and Jabowal, particularly migrant labourers, had left the border hamlets on Thursday night when the firing started.
Several families had taken shelter in bunkers, temples and other safe areas in the border area.
People of border villages said they witnessed such intense firing and shelling after many years. “We were eating food when the firing began. We left the food and ran along with our families,” Joginder Kumar, a labourer from Bihar, said.
Kumar, who along with 51 others, including women and children, had taken shelter in a temple in Arnia after leaving a forward village due to shelling, said they were terrified.
“We had heard about it (firing). Now we have seen it”, he said.
In a forward hamlet where a mortar shell hit a house, Ekta Devi said, “By God’s grace, we were saved. There was a lot of firing till this morning. All glass windows broke”.
Another villager Rakesh Kumar, who along with several villagers had taken shelter in a bunker in forward village, said they are now returning to their village.
“There was intense firing and shelling after many years. There was peace for the past two years. Pakistan cannot be trusted”, he said.
Many videos went viral on social media which showed people fleeing their dwellings when the firing started.
