J&K ceasefire violations: Pakistan refuses to blink, injures three in fresh firing

Jammu: Three people, including a minor, were injured in Ramgargh sector of Samba district after the Pakistan Rangers used mortars and other long-range weapons to target Indian positions on the international border during the night, triggering migration of residents from several villages, police said. A senior police officer said the Pakistan Rangers targeted the Border Security Force (BSF) posts in both Jammu and Samba districts during the night. “For the first time, the Pakistan Rangers have extended ceasefire violations to Ramgarh sector of Samba district in the night by using mortar shells and other long-range weapons to target Indian positions. “They also targeted BSF outposts in R.S. Pura, Arnia and Kana Chak area in Jammu district during the night. The BSF effectively retaliated Pakistan firing at all these places,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_1679487” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A BSF personnel. AFP.[/caption] “The firing started at 10 p.m. last night and continued intermittently till morning today (Monday).” Reports from Arnia sub-sector in Jammu district said that residents from several villages have migrated to safer places during the night. Police confirmed that 550 families from Treva village in Arnia have migrated to safety. An eye-witness said that it was “a warlike situation in these areas”. Inspector General BSF (Jammu Frontier) Rakesh Kumar Sharma told reporters Saturday that the Pakistan army had mixed up with the rangers on the international border to speed up ceasefire violations. “The Pakistan army is helping rangers during ceasefire violations. They want media coverage so that public attention is shifted from the crisis in their country,” Sharma said. All through Saturday night and Sunday (23 and 24 August), Pakistan kept shelling the BSF outposts and the adjoining hamlets. According to a PTI report, “Pakistani troops continued to violate the ceasefire by shelling and firing upon 25 Border Out Posts (BoPs) and 19 villages along the International Border in Jammu sector throughout the night, prompting the BSF to retaliate.” At least 3000 people from 7 to 8 border villages, were evacuated by the district administration over the weekend in view of their safety and shifted to safe shelters, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Zone, Shant Manu said. They were housed in safe shelters in the Government High School, Rangpur in Basspur Bungalow and Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI), RS Pura. While defence minister Arun Jaitley said that the BSF was giving fitting replies to the Pakistan Rangers and hammering them in turn, Home Minister Rajnath Singh directed the BSF to not hold back and respond to the Pakistan threat effectively. With inputs from IANS and PTI