| After R S Pura, Arnia, unprovoked Pak shelling spreads to Samba too | | 35 BSF outposts targeted; 100 odd houses damaged, woman among 3 hurt | | Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Aug 25: Against resuming talks with India, hawks – army, Rangers and militants perched in their forward posts – in Pakistan continued shelling forward Indian posts and villages for the sixth consecutive night Monday, further straining ties between the two hostile neighbours and dashing any hopes of near-term peace deliberations.
The Pak troops, who restricted firing and shelling for five days to the areas that fall in R S Pura and Arnia sub-sectors, last night and tonight targeted Samba too, leading to critical splinter injuries to three persons, including a woman, and cracks to several buildings.
Pakistan opened fire late Monday night, targeting at least six forward villages, including Nanga, Jasochak and Nadwal, in Samba, triggering fresh migration from there. A heavy exchange of fire between the two sides was continuing there at the time of going to the print.
A total of 35 Indian outposts and 25 villages Sunday night became the target of Pak shelling and firing in R S Pura, Arnia and Samba areas.
BSF sources said Pakistan late Sunday opened the mouth of its guns, targeting civilian areas and at least 10 forward BSF outposts, including Nandpur Camp, S M Pura, Narainpura, Kandral, Nanga, Jasochak, Jerda, Chamliyal, Bhambochak and Nathwal.
The firing, that started at about 11.50 pm, continued till 7 am today. Long range weapons and mortars were used in the attack, the sources informed, saying that in the last five days of firing, Pakistan had targeted Samba for the first time.
The firing triggered migration from Kandral and Nanga villages of Samba. Sources said soon after the Pak shells started exploding with deafening sound, over a hundred families from these two villages moved to government higher secondary school, Ramgarh, and community centre, Abtal, in tractor-trolleys.
While loss to property, if any, in the Samba villages was yet to be known, there was no injury to anyone in the Pak firing and shelling, the sources added.
Grown up males of these families moved homes this morning to look after their houses and cattle. Majority of them were said to have returned to their camps in Ramgarh and Abtal villages tonight.
In the heavy Pak shelling and firing in Arnia sub-sector, Omkar Chand (35), son of Sham Lal, was wounded at Kathar. He was admitted to Bishnah hospital. The explosion of enemy shells in Trewa, Kakku De Kothey and Jabowal villages triggered fresh migration from there. Over 200 families from the Arnia villages were taking shelter in government higher secondary school, Slair.
In the enemy firing and shelling in R S Pura sub-sector, which continued from 10.20 pm on Sunday to 5.50 am today, Usha Rani, wife of Jagdev Singh, and Roshan Lal, son of Shankar Dass, were hurt at Flora. Both of them were hospitalised.
Sources said over a hundred structures were damaged, fully or partially, in the five days of Pak shelling on the IB.
The BSF troops responded with equal calibre weapons to Pakistani firing which resulted in heavy exchange of fire.
As the Pak tactics have always been to push militants into the Indian territory under the cover of fire, India has rushed more troops towards the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) to foil any intrusion bid from across the borders. Several senior officers including, Corps Commanders of the 15 and the 16 Corps, were constantly reviewing preparedness of troops on the ground, the sources added.
The development took place after Pakistan on Saturday indulged in heavy unprovoked shelling and firing on 25 odd border outposts and 14 villages, killing two civilians and injuring six others, including a BSF jawan, along the IB in R S Pura sub-sector.
More than 3,000 people had so far migrated from the border hamlets to safer areas under a contingency plan. Pakistan has been using 82-mm mortars and automatic weaponry in the attack.
This was the heaviest unprovoked and indiscriminate firing and shelling by Pak this year along IB in Jammu frontier in violation of the 2003 ceasefire agreement, sources said. The unprovoked Pak firing has further strained relations between the two hostile neighbours who recently called off top-level diplomatic talks.
India last week said its foreign secretary would not meet her Pakistani counterpart as scheduled on Monday because of the Pak plans to consult J&K separatists ahead of the meeting. The cancellation dashed any hopes of near-term peace deliberations, chances of which had risen after Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended the inauguration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about three months ago. |
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