Jammu, August 18
Pakistan Rangers on Sunday night shelled 20 forward Indian posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Jammu sector, leaving a villager injured. The shelling continued till Monday morning.

A family rushes to take refuge in a bunker in their house in Pindi Charkan village in RS Pura sector in Jammu. Tribune photo

"The Rangers resorted to unprovoked heavy mortar shelling and fired with automatic weapons on 20 border outposts in Arnia and RS Pura sub-sectors in Jammu district around 9.30 pm", said a senior BSF officer.

“After opening small arms and automatic weapons fire, the Rangers targeted a 40-km stretch along the International Border and shelled our forward posts and villages. They fired 82 mm, 61 mm and 52 mm mortars besides using medium machine gun fire,” he said.

“Pakistan targeted Pindi, Chinaz, Tent Guard, Nikowal, Kotkooba, Stop 2, Pindi Kadwal Korotana Khurd, Abdulian, Ghopad Basti, Tubewell, Bhudwar, , Pittal, Pindi Charkan, Kaku-de-Kothe, Jeora, Nawapind, Jogna Chak, Trewa, Chanana, Jabowal, Suhagpur and Pindi Kalan areas in Arnia and RS Pura areas,” said the officer.

“We maintained restraint and retaliated in a calibrated manner,” he said.

An elderly villager, identified as Attar Singh (66) of Pindi Kadwal, was injured in the shelling. He suffered splinter injuries on his collar bone and has been hospitalised, said the BSF officer.

A BSF jawan Sanjay Dhar was killed and four other jawans were injured along with three migrant labourers on July 16.

“Yesterday, we contacted Rangers on hotline and told them to de-escalate tension on the border, but they didn’t respond positively,” said a BSF officer. 

Villager injured

Attar Singh of Pindi village suffers injuries in the shelling that targeted a 40-km stretch in Arnia and RS Pura subsectors

Fear-stricken villagers take refuge in bunkers built in their houses

Rangers not responding positively to moves to de-escalate tension, claims the BSF

Pakistani media claims two Rangers among 3 injured in BSF’s retaliatory fire