On day 9, 5 killed, 31 injured; War-like situation along IB

JAMMU: Continuing its border terror for 9th consecutive day, Pakistan’s shelling and heavy firing along the International Border in Jammu region resulted into the death of 5 persons including a child, raising the death toll in the ongoing skirmishes to twelve including two BSF jawans and an eight-month-old boy, even as 31 persons-including 5 security personnel were injured on Wednesday.

Starting early Wednesday, Pakistani troops rained mortars and opened heavy fire on Indian villages and BoPs along the International Border (IB) in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts today.

Two civilians were killed in Samba sector, two in R S Pura whereas one civilian was killed in Hiranagar sector in Pakistan shelling and firing that started at 7 AM.

Thirteen-year-old Shivpaul was playing with his younger brother Krishan Lal Sharma when a Pakistani mortar shell exploded inside their house in Glar village of Samba sector.

Recuperating at the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital here Shivpaul asks only one question - about the well being of his brother. Ten-year-old Krishan Lal Sharma, however, was not as fortunate as his elder sibling. He died on the spot. Their mother Champa was being treated at a local hospital.

In the GMC hospital emergency ward, close to where Shivpaul was recovering, 21-year-old Pooja, wife of an Army jawan, and her two-year-old son too were battling splinter injuries.

Shammo Devi (48) was the other casualty from the same village.

As many as 24 people are reported injured in the Ramgarh and Glar sector of Samba district. These include Champa Devi, Pari Devi, Persino Devi, Puja Devi, Shiva, Shivraj- all resident of Village Glar, Nirmala Devi Wife of Jeet Raj of Sinki in Samba sector, Vikas son of Kartar Chand, Raj Kumar Son of Gain Chand, Sawarna Devi Wife of Bachan Lal, Rekha Devi Daughter of Balwant Raj, Manohar Lal Son of Parkash Chand, Kamal Jeet Kour Wife of Charanjeet Singh, Abhiraj Son of Romesh lal, Bhupinder Singh Son of Jasbir Singh, Amandeep Singh Son of Charan Singh, Dheeraj Kumar Son of Raj Kumar, Khush Preet Kour Daughter of Kulbir Singh, Nikla Devi Wife of Raj Kumar-all residents of Keso village in Ramgarh

Pakistani Rangers also targeted civilian areas and posts in Kathua district.

"There was heavy firing and shelling on civilian areas and posts along the IB in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district before dawn", a senior police officer told.

He said over 100 border dwellers have been evacuated and put in safe shelters and an operation to evacuate others is going on with use of bullet proof vehicles. The shelling is going on, he said.
In the firing and shelling, three persons were injured and one of them succumbed to injuries on way to hospital, he said adding the injured have been admitted to hospitals.

The deceased was identified as Rampaul Sharma.

In R S Pura, Arnia, Bishnah of Jammu district firing and shelling has been going on since last night.
"In heavy shelling by Pakistan this morning, a civilian was killed in R S Pura sector and another injured in Arnia sector", a police officer said. The injured person later succumbed to injuries, identifying him as Raghaveer Singh, an employee in public health engineering department.
At least four people, including 2 women have been reported injured from the area.

Five security persons, namely Constable P P Jagtap (40), Head Constable VS Pandey (40), Head Constable Nirakar Bhatti (45), Head Constable Ashif Ali, Constable Natha Ram have also sustained splinter injuries taking the number of injured in Wednesday’s firing to 31.

Yesterday, 20 civilians were injured when Pakistani troops shelled Indian villages with mortar bombs.

A senior BSF official said firing and shelling continued unabated overnight and has spread to all sectors along the border. He said Pakistani Rangers suffered several casualties with a number of their bunkers getting hit in the exchanges.

The latest round of shelling started on May 15 when the BSF foiled two infiltration attempts by Pakistan-backed infiltrators in Samba sector and intensified a day after Pakistan "pleading" with the BSF to stop firing after being pounded with heavy artillery that left a trooper dead across the border on May 20.

The state has witnessed a spurt in Pakistani shelling and firing along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) this year. Over 700 such incidents have been reported this year, which have left over 40 people, including 18 security personnel, dead and scores injured.