M A I N   N E W S

8 Pak soldiers killed in firing
850 families flee border villages

Rupa Devi, a 60-year-old migrant woman, holds her seven-month-old granddaughter Mamta Devi at a camp at Sherpur, 65 km south of Jammu, on Friday. — Reuters photo

Jammu, May 17
A Pakistani border outpost was completely destroyed and eight of its soldiers killed in retaliatory fire by Indian troops even as a civilian was killed and four other locals injured in heavy firing from across the international border in Jammu and Kathua districts and the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector today.

The frenetic hammering of heavy-calibre guns was continuing on both sides of the international border and along the LoC when reports last came in.

Defence sources said here that Pakistan’s ‘Kabristan’ border outpost in Akhnoor sector was destroyed and eight of its soldiers killed as Indian soldiers opened retaliatory fire on frontier positions along the international border this evening.

The sources said a dozen Pakistani bunkers were also damaged in Samba and Ranbir Singh Pura sectors.

Confirming the exchange of fire, a Defence Ministry spokesman said in New Delhi that Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing at border posts along the international border and the Line of Control (LoC) today, forcing the Indian side to retaliate.

He said the firing by the Indian troops caused damage on the Pakistani side. The firing had been “intermittent” with the two sides using small arms. There was no artillery fire from either side.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani bullets killed a civilian, identified as Ram Pal (15) at the border village of Treva in Arnia sector of Jammu district in the wee hours while four other locals were injured in R S Pura and Samba sectors in firing across the border. They have been identified as Bimla Devi of Suchet Garh, Bachan Singh of Gharana in R S Pura and Mela Ram and Bobi Devi of Galar village in Samba.

Several houses were also damaged in the firing in Samba, R S Pura, Hiranagar and Kathua sectors.

Defence sources here said heavy-calibre gunfire erupted at as many as 70 border outposts along the international border in Kathua and Jammu districts early this morning.

On reports from Islamabad that four villagers were killed and 40 others injured in firing from the Indian side, the Defence spokesman in New Delhi said, “We have no report on this.”

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said Pakistani troops indulged in unprovoked firing in R S Pura, Akhnoor, Samba, Hiranagar and Kathua sectors at around 4.30 am, targeting forward Indian bunkers and villages.

He said Indian and Pakistani troops also indulged in heavy firing along the LoC at Digwar, Khari Karmara, Malkana and Nagar Kot of Poonch sector since early this morning. Meanwhile, official sources said about 850 families from border villages along the international border in Samba sector had migrated to safer places due to the heavy-calibre firing by Pakistani troops today. The sources said several people, including children and women, were moved to safer places from the border villages of Ben, Glar, Faqira Chak, Suchet Garh and Sinki Chapri. UNI

Pak to continue support to ‘J&K struggle’

Islamabad, May 17
Pakistan today said it would continue to provide diplomatic and moral support to the “oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

“The sacrifices of the people of Jammu and Kashmir will ultimately bring results and the Kashmiris will get their right of self-determination,” Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told the Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Sardar Sikandar Hayat, who called on him here today.

The President said, “India through its propaganda campaign was trying to declare the Kashmiris’ struggle as terrorism and malign Pakistan.”

The meeting which lasted 90 minutes discussed other matters, including the recent troop build-up along the India-Pakistan border.

Mr Hayat said, “The people of Kashmir were ready to face any misadventure of India and will sacrifice their lives to defend every inch of the motherland.” UNI