Indias Today :
A resident of one of the villages that came under fire from Pakistan shows a mortar shell. It seems Pakistan is back to its sinister ways and peace is not on its agenda. For some time now Pakistani Rangers have been shelling Indian positions in Jammu and Kashmir, and it got escalated early on Saturday, and continued even late in the evening when reports last came in. Pak troopers targeted 22 border outposts, killing two civilians-a father and a son-and injuring six others. However, Pakistan once again got the taste of India’s firepower, as Indian forces retaliated effectively, causing massive damage across the border.
This comes less than a week after India cancelled foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government in Delhi played hard ball with Pakistan, red-flagging the talks between Pak envoy to India and Kashmiri separatists. And there are clear indications that NDA government has the political will to give a fitting reply to Pakistan’s misadventures. Observers say it is not something that Pakistan can swallow easily. Moreover, Pakistan is once again going through political turmoil as opposition leaders and their supporters there have been demanding resignation of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. All of it, say analysts, seems to have acted as a catalyst to ceasefire violations.
The latest ceasefire violations, which began after midnight, targeted Border Security Force (BSF) posts near the international border in Jammu district. A BSF official, who did not want to be identified, said the Pakistan Rangers targeted 22 BSF posts in R S Pura and Arnia sectors. Pakistani forces used small arms, heavy machine guns and 82mm mortars. “They also used long range mortars. We gave a befitting reply to them and fired back using similar weapons, causing severe damage to them,” he said.
The firing continued for over seven hours. Thirteen villages were hit by the firing, which injured six persons, including four members of a family and a BSF trooper. Nearly 3,000 people living in border hamlets close to the zero line were moved to safer places, said Ajit Kumar Sahu, the Deputy Commissioner of Jammu. Sahu told Mail Today some 30 villages were affected by the ceasefire violations in R S Pura sector. “Earlier also, ceasefire violations would take place in R S Pura sector but people would not move out. Today’s killings, however, created a panic and forced people to move out to spend the night at shelters,” he said.
