Pakistan Rangers disrupt peace along International border; resort to heavy mortar shelling in the RS Pura Sector

Second incident of unprovoked firing by the Pak rangers in the last 10 days

October 27, 2023

BSF retaliates strongly in response

Ahead of the peak festival season, Pakistan Rangers late Thursday night resorted to ‘unprovoked‘ mortar shelling in the Arnia sector targeting several border outposts and civilian areas causing splinter injuries to half a dozen local residents and one BSF jawan.

BSF retaliated effectively in response to the unprovoked firing, which continued till 3:00 a.m. on Friday.

This is the second incident of unprovoked firing by the Pak Rangers in the last 10 days. Pakistan had last violated the ceasefire on October 17, in which two BSF jawans were injured at the Vikram post along the IB in the Arnia sector.

India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021, in which both nations agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.

Panic gripped border villages falling in the direct line of fire

Panic-stricken residents in some of the forward villages tried to shift to safer places but in the wake of continued firing from across the border, the civil and police authorities advised the local population to stay indoors to prevent any loss of life.

Pakistan Rangers lobbed 82 and 120 mm mortar shells and used heavy machine guns, which triggered fear among the border residents. Several marriage functions, going on in the border villages, were disrupted following heavy mortar shelling and continuous firing. Several social gatherings were hushed up to prevent any loss of human life due to unprovoked mortar shelling.

According to ground reports, several residential houses were hit by the mortar shelling, causing damage. A mortar shell blasted into the courtyard of a residential home in Arnia, causing extensive damage inside the kitchen. Similarly, several other residential properties also suffered damages due to heavy shelling.

According to the spokesperson of the Border Security Force, “On the evening of October 26, 2023, at about 8 PM, Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing on the international border in the Jammu sector. In response, BSF troops retaliated effectively.

Subsequently, Pak Rangers extended their firing to target our adjacent BOPs, prompting retaliation from our Forward Defense Posts in these areas. At approximately 9.15 p.m., Pak Rangers started mortar firing targeting border outposts and civilian areas. Some of the shells landed in Arnia town, resulting in minor injuries to Rajni Devi w/o Balbir Singh, Arnia, Jammu.

Around 2240 hours, Pak Rangers used heavy machine gun fire from Pakistan and targeted our posts.

Past midnight around 1.10 a.m. Pak Rangers again resorted to firing and targeted our BOPs, leading to an exchange of fire, which continued till around 3:00 a.m.

An injured BSF soldier has been identified as Constable Basava Raj. He sustained minor splinter injuries due to shelling in both hands at about 2200 hours. The injured individual was initially evacuated to PHC Arnia and later admitted to GMCH, Jammu. The individual’s condition is stable. BSF authorities in Jammu claimed they are closely monitoring the situation and remain alert to ensure the safety and security of the border and its residents.

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