2 civilians injured as Pakistan Rangers shell Indian villages, BSF posts in J-K

Two civilians suffered injuries as the Pakiatan Rangers rained mortars on Indian posts and forward villages in Jammu and Kashmir’s Arnia sub sector on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

Border guards of Pakistan started unprovoked firing and shelling targeting Indian posts, around midnight on Wednesday, a day after killing an Indian soldier along the LoC in Kupwara sector, said a senior BSF officer. It was eleventh ceasefire violation in a week in the state.

The firing continued till Thursday morning.

Two civilians identified as Pummy Devi and Kishori Lal of Pindi Kathar village suffered injuries when a Pakistani mortar shell exploded in their house.

The latest act of unprovoked firing by Pakistan left six cattle dead and over 25 injured in Jeora Farm village, predominantly inhabited by nomadic Gujjars.

The sector witnessed intense shelling and heavy fire from Pakistani side on the 198km-long international border since last Thursday, which left a constable of Indian border guards, Brijendra Bahadur Singh, and an old woman Ratna Devi of Arnia dead and six others injured.

The Pakistani forces once again resorted to firing from around Wednesday midnight after their guns had fallen silent for some time since Tuesday last, the BSF officer said.

The BSF retaliated effectively, he added.