Pak violates ceasefire in Arnia sector, BSF retaliates

Jammu: Pakistani troops on Friday violated the ceasefire by firing mortars along the International Border in Jammu district, leaving a BSF jawan injured. BSF troops posted along the border retaliated.

This is second ceasefire violation along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir in as many days.

"Pakistani Rangers fired few bullets warning troops working ahead of the fence in Arnia area in Jammu. Our troops retaliated with few rounds of fire this morning", a senior BSF officer said.

"They also fired mortar shells. Some exchange of mortar shells also took place", he said.

A BSF jawan suffered minor injuries, he said. Pakistani troops had yesterday shelled civilian areas near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, killing a woman and injuring her husband and provoking retaliation by the Indian army in which two Pakistani soldiers were injured.

In the wake of the Pakistani action in Naushera tehsil of Rajouri district, the schools in the area were closed down and an evacuation plan was activated under which over 1200 people from various border hamlets are being shifted to safer places.

After the Pakistani shelling, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Nowshera tehsil had issued an order, directing closure of all schools in the area as a precautionary measure.

"All schools close to the LoC were shut in Nowshera tehsil of Rajouri district as a precautionary measure today following the death of a woman and injuries to her husband in shelling by the Pakistan Army," a senior police officer had said.

An evacuation plan has been put in place in view of the intermittent shelling and firing along LoC, the officer had said.