A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir four civilians and a Border Security Force soldier were killed early Friday morning during cross border firing and shelling by Pakistan rangers on Indian border posts in Jammu.
The deaths came on the third day of continuing cross border exchange in Hiranagar and Samba sectors that spread to many border outposts (BoPs) along the undisputed part of the boundary between India and Pakistan in the state.
Arun Manhas, Additional District Development Commissioner said four civilians, including a couple were killed and a dozen others were wounded in the heavy Pakistan shelling in R S Pura and Arnia sectors.
The civilian were identified Tarsem Lal, 52, his 47-year-old wife Manjeet – residents of Chandu Chak, R S Pura, Sat Paul, 60 and Jag Mohan, 45, both residents of Treva in Arnia.
A BSF official said a soldier of the paramilitary border force at Jabowal BoP died on way to hospital after he was critically injured during the Pakistani shelling. The slain soldier was identified as 28-year-old constable Sitaram Upadhyaya of 192 Battalion from Giridih in Jharkhand.
Another wounded BSF soldier was being treated at a hospital.
Panic gripped the population living along the border as the firing and shelling continued for hours into the afternoon. Authorities evacuated the injured and people from more vulnerable areas in armored vehicles and lodged them in relief camps, bulletproof bunkers and hospitals.
Official sources said Pakistan Rangers started shelling all along the border in Jammu, creating panic and forcing many border residents to flee leaving their cattle behind.
A senior BSF officer said the paramilitary force retaliated effectively after Pakistani forces targeted areas in R S Pura, Bishnah and Arnia sectors of Jammu by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing since late midnight.
“If they are targeting us, they are getting an appropriate reply. We were expecting such an incident because the harvesting season is over, and once that happens they always do such mischief,” said Ram Avtar, Inspector General BSF.
Officials said all schools within five kilometers from the border were closed indefinitely.
Earlier, on May 15 a BSF soldier was killed as Pakistani troops targeted forward posts “to help infiltrators cross the International Border (IB) in Samba sector.” Troops also foiled four infiltration bids along the IB since Sunday.
Director General of BSF, K K Sharma confirmed a group of five militants from Pakistan had crossed into Jammu region recently.
Friday’s border tension comes a day ahead of Modi’s visit to the state to inaugurate and lay foundation stones of several key projects in Jammu, Ladakh and Srinagar.
