Amritsar: Border Security Force (BSF) troopers fired from machine-guns and automatic weapons after suspected terrorists fired seven rockets into Punjab`s Amritsar district but there were no casualties, officials said on Saturday.
The rockets were found in an agricultural field near Kangarh chowki (post) in Attari sector early Saturday.
BSF troopers retaliated with machine-gun and automatic weapons into Pakistan from the area where the rocket blasts were heard between 2.00 am and 3.00 am Saturday.
Punjab frontier Inspector General of Police (IGP) Himmat Singh said there were no casualties reported in the border area even though five rockets landed near a village and two rockets landed near the BSF post.
BSF officials held talks with the Pakistani Rangers and lodged a strong protest over the incident.
"Our troopers fired back. Senior officers have already reached the spot and investigations are on. We had a meeting with our Pakistani counterparts and have lodged a strong official protest," Singh said.
A thick fog was hampering efforts by the Border Security Force to find out if more rockets had been fired, BSF officials said.
This is the third incident of rockets, suspected to be fired by Pakistan-based terrorists into India. The last two incidents happened in Pul Kanjari area of the international border between both countries in July and September last year.
Infiltration bid foiled in J&K
Meanwhile, the BSF foiled an infiltration bid by militants from Pakistan early Saturday following an exchange of fire near Akhnoor along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir.
BSF sources said that a group of militants tried to sneak in from Pakistan across the border in Pargwal Sector, about 45 km north of Jammu, under the cover of fire from the Pakistani side.
The Indian side also retaliated.
"They (infiltrators) ran back into Pakistani territory," a BSF source said.
"Militants were taking advantage of the thick fog conditions along the international border," the source added.
This is the second infiltration bid since the beginning of the new year on the international border. On Friday, militants had made an attempt to enter Indian territory in Balakote sector in Mendhar in Poonch district.
IANS
