BSF jawan killed, 6 injured as Pakistan targets BOPs, civilian hamlets in Jammu

Shelling and firing exchanges took place in Korotana Kurd, Bidipur, Jattan, Abdullian, Chandu Chak, Shamka and Hansu Chak areas.

Jammu: A BSF jawan was on Thursday killed while six civilians were injured in mortar shelling and heavy firing by Pakistani troops in RS Pura and Arnia Sectors along the International Border in Jammu district.

The shelling along with firing exchanges between Indian and Pakistani troops started late Wednesday night, police added.

"There was heavy firing and mortar shelling on BoPs and villages along IB in RS Pura and Arnia sectors of Jammu district overnight and continued till this morning", a police officer said.

"The jawan, a head constable, received splinter injuries in the ceasefire violation and succumbed to his injuries," a senior BSF official said.

The jawan identified as Jitendra Kumar was a native of Motihari district in Bihar.

Pakistani troops pounded over 20 civilian hamlets along IB in Arnia and RS Pura in Jammu district overnight, he said.

Over 15 Border Out Posts were also targeted.

In the shelling, six civilians were injured in Khopra Basti belt in RS Pura this morning, he said, adding the injured have been evacuated to a hospital for treatment.

Pakistani posts started firing heavy mortars towards the Indian side at 2035 hours, a BSF officer said.

"Heavy mortar shells were fired towards Arnia last night", Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.

Loud explosions could still be heard in these areas.

Yesterday, an officer of the Border Security Force was injured when a shell fired by Pakistani Rangers exploded near him during in RS Pura sector along the International Border in Jammu.

As many as 16 people, mostly women, have been injured in the cross-border firing in the RS Pura sector in the past two days.

Assistant Sub Inspector of BSF AK Upadhyay was injured when a shell exploded near him in RS Pura sector. He received splinter injuries in his hand yesterday.

Eight civilians were injured in shelling in RS Pura and Arnia on October 25. Singh said the government has issued an advisory and all the educational institutions near the International border have been closed in the wake of the firing from across the border.

People have been migrating to safer locations.

"In the wake of the heavy firing, border residents are migrating to safer locations. Whenever there is a lull, they leave their houses to shift to either safe camps or to their relatives' houses at safer locations", Singh said.

A six-year-old boy and a BSF jawan were killed in the cross-border shelling in RS Pura sector on October 24.

Over 55 ceasefire violations have taken place since the surgical strikes carried out by the Army on terror launch pads in PoK, in which four persons, including three security personnel, died and over 25 were injured.