JAMMU: India and
Pakistan seemed poised on the brink of a serious confrontation after the Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on forward posts along the
International Border (IB) in Ramgarh sector of J&K’s Samba district that killed four BSF personnel, including assistant commandant Jitendra Singh.
Three BSF personnel were injured in the attack in which Pakistan Rangers personnel used mortars and machine guns.
This is the second
ceasefire violation by Pakistan after the DGMOs of the two countries agreed on May 29 to “fully implement” the border ceasefire agreement of November 2003 in “letter and spirit” to stop border skirmishes in J&K.
“This is sheer betrayal and there will be a response,” a senior source in the security establishment said.
Thousands residing in three J&K border districts flee
“The martyrs have been identified as assistant commandant Jatinder Singh, sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar, assistant sub-inspector Ram Niwas and constable Hans Raj. The injured BSF personnel have been identified as sub-inspector Zental Sil and constables Sujan Dass and Vikas Kumar,” the source said, adding that intermittent firing was on till 4.30 pm.
Confirming the incident, BSF
Jammu Frontier Inspector General (IG) Ram Awtar said, “Despite the recent agreement to ensure ceasefire along the IB, Pakistani Rangers yet again violated the pact by resorting to unprovoked cross-border firing. We lost four of our personnel.”
Thousands of border people in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts had to migrate from their homes following heavy shelling from the Pakistan side between May 15 and 23, which left 12 people, including two BSF jawans and an infant, dead and several others injured.
After the DGMOs’ meeting, Pakistan again resorted to unprovoked firing on June 3, killing two BSF personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector. In this spell of firing, 10 persons, mostly civilians, were injured in Pragwal, Kanachak and Khour sectors along the IB.
