Cross border firing stops; fear looms large on IB

Jammu, Oct 27: Jammu, Oct 27: Though cross-border firing, which had caught the villagers along International Border in Jammu unawares, stopped on Friday yet the fear was still looming large as those, who on Thursday evening had moved to safer places, returned to their homes.

In the unprovoked firing by Pakistan late Thursday evening, one BSF soldier and a civilian had sustained injuries while scores of houses suffered damages in heavy mortar shelling targetting Arnia, Bulle Chak, Joura Farm, Suchetgarh, Treva and Jabbowal area.

Several families along with their livestock and migrant labourers moved to safer places during night when panic reigned supreme. According to locals, intermittent firing continued till late night and calm was only restored by morning.

As the situation turned normal, several politicians made a bee-line to the affected villages to listen to the grievances of people there. Later in the evening, the Deputy Commissioner Jammu Sachin Kumar Vaishya too visited the affected belt and assessed damages. He also interacted with the affected population and local politicians, including DDC Suchetgarh member Taranjit Singh Tony.

“Tomorrow morning, the Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu zone Anand Jain will visit Bulle Chak at around 9 am to have first-hand assessment of the situation and damages,” Tony told Greater Kashmir.

“On the evening of October 26, 2023, at about 8 pm, Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing along the Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu sector. In response, BSF troops immediately retaliated to the firing. Subsequently, Pak Rangers extended their firing to target our adjacent Border Out Posts (BOPs), prompting retaliation from our Forward Defense Posts (FDPs) in these areas in a befitting manner,” a BSF spokesperson said.

According to him, at approximately 9.15 pm, Pak Rangers started mortar firing targetting BOPs and civilian areas.