Pak forces request BSF to stop retaliatory firing

NEW DELHI: The Border Security Force has been pounding Pakistani posts with precision firing and heavy artillery along the international border for past two days following which Pakistan Rangers on Sunday morning “pleaded” BSF to stop the offensive.
BSF said in a statement on Sunday that Pak Rangers beseeched Jammu BSF to stop the firing, which was done in retaliation to the unprovoked shelling and firing across international boundary by Pak forces.

The border guarding force also released a 19-second thermal-imagery footage showing the destruction of a Pakistani picket across the border.

A Pak Rangers’ trooper was also shot down by BSF men in the retaliatory firing.

“For the last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pakistani firing locations inflicted heavy losses and on Saturday, this firing found their mark with one of the rangers in chicken neck area,” a BSF spokesperson said.

The BSF had lost two of its jawans in this latest round of unprovoked firing on the Jammu IB over the last few days. Four civilians have also been killed while few have been injured in the border villages in Jammu.

The firing from Pakistani side increased in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a spurt in Pakistani shelling and firing along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) this year. Over 700 incidents of fire and shelling were reported, which left 38 people including 18 security personnel dead and scores injured.

It is not the first time that BSF has used all its firepower to bring Pakistani forces on its knees. Earlier when Pak forces violated the ceasefire in January this year and killed several civilians on the western border, BSF fired over 9,000 rounds of mortar shells on the Pakistani posts causing heavy damage to the Pakistani structure and men.

BSF has been using long range mortar shells — also called 8mm area weapons— which can hit targets within the range of 5 to 6km; short range mortar shells (51mm mortar shells) which can hit targets at 900 meters; and small arms like MMG, LMG, rifles for retaliating to Pakistani shelling and firing.

Officials said that the assault on Pak Rangers will continue till they stop targeting Indian personnel or shelling bordering villages.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh has already given a free hand to BSF to use maximum fire power against Pak Rangers and Pak army.