It is not sniping, it is ceasefire violation: BSF

Srinagar: Less than a week after the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan agreed to implement the ceasefire pact of 2003 in “letter and spirit”, active hostilities again broke out between the border guards of two countries early on Sunday.

BSF’s Inspector General (Jammu Frontier) Ram Awtar said, “It was not a sniping, but ceasefire violation, in which two of our jawans sustained  injuries and later attained martyrdom. We have given a strong and befitting reply, but so far the damage across the border could not be ascertained,” he said. He added, “We did not target the civilian areas across the border, but only retaliated to cross border firing.” Replying questions, he said there were no fresh inputs of attempt of infiltration amid ceasefire violation by Pakistani border guards. 

A report from Jammu said that the exchanges of small and medium weapons and mortar guns involving as many as ten BSF BoPs are going on since Sunday morning. On the Indian side about 35 villages have been affected in fresh firing and shelling, the report said.   

It is not yet known if there have been any casualties on the Pakistani side too. 

On May 29, the DGMOs of the two countries had agreed to “fully implement” the ceasefire pact of 2003 in “letter and spirit” forthwith to stop border skirmishes along their borders in J&K.  The hotline contact was initiated by the Pakistani DGMO.

After the announcement and guns falling silent, the jubilant border dwellers in Jammu region, both on the IB and the LoC, had started returning to their homes which had been abandoned by them amid intense clashes between the facing troops in May. On the Pakistani side too, the hope that they would be allowed to live normal life again had rekindled among border residents.

According to the Indian officials, the Pakistani firing and shelling which had continued for nine days in May in Arnia, RS Pura, Ramgarh, Samba and Hiranagar sectors of the IB had claimed the lives of two BSF men and ten civilians whereas scores others were wounded.  With these deaths, they had said, the toll in Pakistani firing during ceasefire violations along the IB and the LoC in the State had risen to 46 including 20 Army and BSF personnel.