BSF jawan killed as Pak violates border ceasefire in Samba sector

JAMMU: A 28-year-old BSF jawan was killed as Pakistani troops fired at forward posts to push infiltrators across the International Border (IB) in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir, BSF chief K K Sharma said today.

The infiltration bid in the Manguchak border outpost area was scuttled by the alert personnel, Sharma told reporters after attending a wreath laying ceremony of the deceased jawan at the BSF headquarters here.

However, a search operation was on as a group of terrorists is suspected to have crossed the border in an another Pakistan-backed infiltration bid on Sunday night.

The latest ceasefire violation by Pakistani forces today comes barely four days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

The jawans at the Manguchak border outpost noticed suspicious movement last night and fired illuminated bombs before firing from Light Machine Guns (LMGs) on the infiltrators who, however, managed to flee away, Sharma said.

Suspicious movement was again noticed and the action was repeated by the alert personnel. But this time, Pakistani troops also fired and Constable Devender Singh Baghel, who was firing his LMG, was hit by a bullet, through the loophole, in the left eye. He was immediately evacuated to a hospital and later achieved martyrdom, Sharma said.

Earlier, a senior BSF official said that Pakistani rangers resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing around 11.30 pm last night and the heavy firing between the two sides continued for an hour.

The incident comes barely 24 hours after BSF noticed suspicious movement of a group of five persons, believed to be terrorists, along the IB in Hiranagar sector of nearby Kathua district, prompting a massive search operation and sounding of a high alert in Jammu.

Sharma said the presence of a group, comprising five members, was confirmed by high sensitive thermal imaging.

I am sure that they will be detected and neutralised, Sharma said.

"Two infiltration attempts were made along the international border since Sunday night. There is a possibility that a group of five (terrorists) managed to sneak into this side through a tunnel on Sunday night. We have not so far detected any tunnel but we are looking for it. The anti-tunneling exercise is going on, he said.

The Army pressed helicopters into service during the search operation which entered the second day on May 15, the official said.

The BSF jawan's death took the number of persons killed in over 700 incidents of Pakistani shelling along the IB and Line of Control (LoC) in the state to 33.

The deceased include 17 security personnel.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to arrive in Jammu and Kashmir on May 19.

There was a lull in firing along the IB over the past three months after intense border skirmishes in January and February. However, the frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistan were going on along the LoC.

Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta, JK Director General of Police S P Vaid and other senior officers also today laid wreath at the coffin of the jawan whose body was later sent to his home town in Uttar Pradesh for last rites.