New Delhi: The Indian Army and Border Security Force are responding effectively to the repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, said Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday.
Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire as many as 16 times in the last 16 days. The heavy firing on Saturday morning killed two civilians in the RS Pura sector and injured a jawan and three other people.
Speaking to reporters at the ceremony commissioning INS Kamorta into the Indian Navy, Jaitley said, "Our Army & BSF are effectively responding to each violation.. country has full faith."
In a major escalation, Pakistani troops indulged in heavy "unprovoked" shelling and firing on 22 border outposts and 13 villages along the International Border in Jammu sector.
Over 3000 people living in border hamlets have been evacuated to safe areas under a contingency plan, enforced on Saturday after the latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan soon after midnight targeting the entire border belt of Arnia and R S Pura as well as Hamirpur sub-sector in Poonch.
The BSF troops took positions and responded with equal calibre weapons to Pakistani firing which resulted in heavy exchange of fire till 0700 hours today, a senior BSF officer told PTI.
"Pak Rangers resorted to heavy shelling of 82-mm mortars and firing of automatic weaponry on 22 BoPs and civilian areas along IB in Arnia and R S Pura sub-sectors of Jammu district from 0030 hours today," the officer said.
In Jora farm, Akram Hussain and his son Aslam were killed and three other family members were injured when a Pak shell exploded inside their house after tearing the roof, Sub Divisional Police officer (SDPO), R S Pura, Devender Singh.
This was heaviest unprovoked and indiscriminate firing and shelling by Pak Rangers this year along IB in Jammu frontier in violation of the 2003 ceasefire agreement, he said.
Pakistan troops also violated ceasefire twice today by resorting to heavily firing with automatic and small arms along Hamirpur sub-sector in Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing Indian troops to retaliate strongly.
There was a heavy onslaught of 82-mm mortar shells by Pak Rangers on atleast 13 border hamlets triggering panic among the people living along the IB.
Six persons including a BSF jawan were also injured and 5 houses suffered damaged, security officials said. Singh, who led the evacuation and rescue operation, said that firing and shelling has taken place in entire border belt of Arnia and R S Pura.
The shelling targeted villages of Sia, Jordha farm, Treva, Nikowal, Pittal, Pindi, Top-2, Gari, Gharana, Abdullian Korotana, Korotana Khurd and Vidhipur Jattan.
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