| Pak backstabs: Shells J&K border villages, killing five, injuring 34 | | 100 odd houses develop cracks on IB, LoC, people fail to offer Eid prayers in Poonch, Rajouri | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU/POONCH/RAJOURI, Oct 6: While using a sweet tongue with India, Pakistan always keeps a hand ready to stab in the back. Today, when its troops today gave Eid sweets to Indian army at Chakan da Bagh in Poonch, shelling and heavy gunfire by them had already left five killed and 34 injured on the International Border (IB). On the Line of Control (LoC), there was no casualty but several houses developed cracks and majority population was deprived of its right to offer Eid prayers, triggering strong anti-Pak sentiment.
Heavy shelling and firing resumed on the IB late tonight.
The unprovoked Pak action has been strongly condemned by India. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Indian forces were fully ready to respond to such ceasefire violations.
While the people were Sunday night getting ready to go to beds, the IB started reverberating with constant sound of heavy gunfire and explosions caused by mortars. Some ran out in search for safer places, others huddled in the corners of their houses to save themselves.
In the Arnia belt of Jammu, shelling and heavy gunfire started at about 10 pm Sunday and continued till this morning, resulting in the death of five persons and injuries to at least 34 others.
Four of the dead included Rajesh Kumar alias Ghish (27), son of Makka Ram, Kajal Devi (14), daughter of Pappu, Satya Devi, wife of Chhaju Ram, and Ram Lal, son of Sain Dass. All hailed from Mahasha de Kothe.
Twenty six of the injured were identified as Manish Kumar (17), son of Purshotam Lal of Arnia, his brother Sushil Kumar, Rohit Kumar, son of Sharam Chand, Vijay Kumar, son of Chhaju Ram, Gharsana Devi, wife of Purshotam Lal, Jyoti Devi, wife of Pawan Kumar, Joginder Singh, son of Gurdev Singh, Bira Devi, wife of Makka Ram, Sudesh Kumari, wife of Rajesh Kumar, Purshotam Lal, son of Laxman Dass, Bishan Dass, son of Dharam Chand, Ramesh Chander, son of Buta Ram, Krishna Devi, wife of Ajit Raj, Shamsher Singh, son of Dhani Ram, Nata Ram, son of Shamsher, Balbir Singh, son of Laxman Dass, Satya, wife of Desh Raj, Ram Lal, son of Sain Dass, Roshan Lal, son of Pawan Chand, Joginder Pal, son of Babbu Ram, Om Prakash, son of Nand Lal, Rakesh Kumar, son of Kakki, Kishore Kumar, son of Babbu Ram, Subham, son of Som Nath, Romesh Chander, son of Babbu Ram, and Mukesh, son of Kakka Ram, all residents of Arnia. They were admitted to the GMCH here.
BSF troops retaliated effectively and gave a befitting reply, official sources said, adding that the intermittent firing exchanges were on in the area when reports last came in.
Heavy shelling and firing resumed on the IB late tonight too, with Pakistan Rangers targeting Indian outposts and villages. Several families were said to have fled their homes and taken shelter at safer places. Exchange of fire was continuing at the time of going to the print.
A visit to the affected areas today told everything about the loss of life and property suffered by the people. Blood stained beds, torn off roof-tops and windows perforated by bullets besides splinters of mortar bombs were lying scattered around.
The overnight attacks by Pakistani forces have triggered panic among the border villagers. There were some reports of people moving out of the affected areas, fearing fresh attacks.
"We have not seen such an attack of mortar bombs and heavy firing in the past several decades, even not during the August ceasefire violations. It was the worst attack on civilian areas", Kulbushan Kumar, a resident of Arnia town, said.
Such was the intensity of the firing and shelling that 82mm mortar shells landed in Mahasha da Kote and Arnia town, which are around 5 km away from the IB.
Carcasses of animals killed due to splinter injuries are also seen strewn in Kaku di Kotha and other areas.
"Arnia town, which we considered a safe place, has also been hit by scores of mortars that killed one person Ram Lal," Kulbushan said.
Most of the houses, said to be over 40, in Mahasha Kote, Pindi, Koku di Kotha and Channa village were hit by the bullets and splinters of mortar shells, which tore roof tops and walls of several houses besides breaking windows and doors.
Bamroo Devi, who lost four members of her family in Mahasha Kote village, was seen weeping besides the blood stained beds in the compound of her house which was hit by mortars.
"What was our fault that they killed our family members?" she says.
A pall of gloom prevails in this village with people consoling those who have lost their near and dear ones in the firing.
"The state and central government should learn from this tragedy and ensure permanent relocation of the critical border villages located close to IB," says Sarwan Singh.
The neighbours of Ram Paul, who was killed in the shelling by Pakistani rangers, are still in a state of shock.
"How can the shells reach us here as the area is 6 km away from the border? It has triggered fear among us," Hardev said.
The bloodbath in the compound of Ram's house is now haunting the villagers, who are mulling to shift from the area.
"We want to now shift to safer areas," he said. Sunil Kumar, who lost a relative, said, "Around midnight we woke up to the sound of shelling which rattled windows and doors."
"Huddled in one corner of the room, we watched the house being hit by all sides by splinters and some of them pierced the windows but we all escaped unhurt," he said.
Describing the civilian casualties due to ceasefire violations from Pakistan as unfortunate, BSF Director General D K Pathak said his force had retaliated strongly.
"The incident which happened was very unfortunate that resulted in so many civilian casualties. We have strongly retaliated, there has been damage on their (Pakistan) side too, let's see what happens," Pathak said.
Stating that such firing from across the border was unexpected, the BSF DG also stated that his force would act professionally and do what was required.
"We were not expecting shelling and firing on Eid, this is completely unexpected," he added.
In New Delhi, defence minister Arun Jaitley deplored the ceasefire violations from across the border and said the Indian armed forces were "fully ready" and are responding to each of these provocations from across the border.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Pakistan should stop ceasefire violations now and understand the reality that times have changed in India."
Shelling and heavy gunfire started in Poonch areas at about 8.30 am and continued till 2 pm. When the mortars started exploding in the civilian areas of Panni, Sohala, Dabsi, Balakote Forward, Choi, Mankote, Dabraj and Ghani, people were going to offer eid prayers. So scared they were that they hid themselves behind boulders and in fields instead of going to the mosques in their respective villages. The worst affected in Poonch were Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote and K G sub-sectors.
After the shelling and firing stopped at about 2 pm, the people returned homes without offering prayers.
Sources said 650 Mujahid Regiment, 651 Mujahid Regiment, 640 Mujahid Regiment and 29 Baloch Regiment of Pakistan were involved in the attack.
After the today's heavy shelling, the border residents started the work of repairing and cleaning their underground bunkers. At least 60 houses developed cracks in the enemy action in Poonch areas.
The Pak troops also offered eid sweets to their counterparts at Chakan da Bagh crossing point in Poonch in the morning when firing by them had already claimed five lives in Arnia villages. Indian troops too gave sweets in return. People, however, feel that India should have rejected the Pak offer to accept sweets and strongly asked it to stop targeting the civilian areas.
In Rajouri, Pak resorted to unprovoked firing at two places. Though no loss to life or property was reported, several bullets hit Naika village in Ghambir sub-sector that created panic among people who were preparing for eid prayers. They also could not offer eid prayers.
"Pakistan troopers also targeted forward posts in Keri sector with automatic and small arms and our troops retaliated the firing with equal response," the sources added.
Pakistan army violated truce after a lull of more than 40 days in Rajouri district . On August 17 and 24 the bullets fired by the Pakistan army had hit a mosque and some houses in village Mangalnar in Manajkot tehsil. |
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