An Indian Army jawan was martyred along the Line of Control in Poonch, while three more civilians succumbed to injuries in continuous cross border firing in RS Pura on Saturday.
More than 40 border posts of BSF located between RS Pura to Pargwal in Akhnoor sector and portion of Line of Control in Poonch and Rajouri continued to exchange heavy volume of firing.
In the last three days, a total number of 10 persons including six civilians, 2 BSF and 2 army jawans have lost their lives, while 46 others injured in the firing were undergoing treatment in different hospitals.
A Sub-Inspector of BSF and SSB jawan too received injuries in the cross border shelling in Akhnoor sector.
The Indian Army and Border Security Force (BSF) jawans have been strongly retaliating causing heavy damages on the Pakistani side of the border. In the wake of Republic day celebrations high alert has been sounded to prevent any possible infiltration bid from across the border in the coming days.
According to Defence spokesman, " Pakistan army initiated 'unprovoked' and indiscriminate firing of small arms and automatics weapons around 8.20 a.m in Krishna Ghati sector along LoC in Poonch on Saturday. In the exchange fire, Sepoy Mandeep Singh received grievous injuries and later succumbed". 23 year old Sepoy Mandeep Singh belonged to village Alampur in Sangroor district of Punjab, is survived by his father Gurnaam Singh.
The two civilians killed in cross border firing in RS Pura were identified as Ghara Singh (17 years), Ghar Singh while third civilian Tarsem Singh, resident of Gajansoo, was declared brought dead in Govt Medical college hospital in Jammu.
Meanwhile, following unabated firing the majority of forward villages in the border belt of Jammu frontier continue to wore a deserted look paralysing normal life in the area. The farmers have been advised not to venture out in their agricultural fields to avoid getting hit in the cross border firing.
The State Government has issued an alert for the population living along the borders to move to the safer places in view of the constant firing along the border.
Majority of women and children have already moved out to safer places leaving behind handful of villagers to look after their livestock in the forward villages.
The State Government has already announced closure of all educational institutions in the forward areas falling within 5 km radius of the International border.
According to preliminary estimates over 150 animals have so far perished and hundreds of concrete structures, vehicles suffered damages in heavy shelling in the area.
On Saturday large number of thatched roof houses (temporary structures) belonging to nomadic Gujjar population near Jeora farms in RS Pura sector caught fire due to heavy mortar shelling. The local residents rushed to safety and were evacuated by the local police authorities.
Department of Health & Medical Education has made elaborate arrangements to deal with the situation and adequate doctors (specialists) and paramedics along with necessary life saving drugs and equipment have been kept available round the clock in all health institutions.
A total number of 197 Ambulances, including (Critical Care Ambulance) have been deployed to meet the situation. Despite, all this the local villagers continue to raise question marks over the availability of ambulances and inadequate bullet proof vehicles at the time of shifting local villagers to safer places amid heavy shelling. To take stock of the arrangements made by the district administration Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh visited border areas and interacted with border residents in relief camps set up by the State Government to accommodate them.