Jammu: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu, Pakistan Rangers Wednesday violated the ceasefire twice by resorting to firing and mortar shelling in the Akhnoor sector in which a woman was killed and six others, including two BSF jawans, were injured.
"The Pakistan Rangers opened 'sniper fire' on a BSF constable guarding a border outpost along the International Border (IB) in Kanachak sector of Akhnoor tehsil in Jammu district at around 0845 hours," a senior BSF officer said.
As BSF personnel tried to evacuate the injured jawan, they came under heavy fire from the Rangers, he said, whereupon they took position and retaliated.
Two jawans, Anjani Kumar and YP Tiwari, were among the six persons injured in the firing, the spokesman said, adding that the exchanges were restricted to the Akhnoor-Kanachak sectors with five Border Out Posts (BoPs) on the Indian side coming under attack.
Apart from the BoPs, the Rangers targeted civilian areas with small-arms fire and shelling at Bhalwal Bharth, Malabela and Siderwan along the border at 0910 hours, a police officer said, adding that the exchanges stopped at 1200 hours today.
Three mortar shells landed deep inside Kanachak sector along the IB, they said.
A 42-year-old woman, identified as Poli Devi, lost her life in the ceasefire violation. Among the civilians injured were 24-year-old Ramesh Kumar, 38-year-old Usha Devi and one Surinder Singh.
The ceasefire violation was carried out by the 21 Chenab Rangers of Pakistan from their Azam, Peer Garana, Melabela- Stop on Siderwan and Malabela BoPs of BSF on this side, said the BSF spokesman.
The firing comes ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Jammu on July 17 to attend the centenary celebrations of former state Finance Minister Girdhari Lal Dogra.
