Jammu, Jan 22: A civilian was killed and two others critically wounded in overnight firing on the International border in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the death toll to 12 in past four days.
Pakistani troops opened fire and lobbed mortars at Indian positions along the International border and LoC in three sectors of Jammu and Rajouri districts overnight, a BSF officer said on Monday.
On Sunday evening, a civilian was killed and two persons were injured in the Pakistani shelling along the IB in Kanachak belt of Jammu district, raising the death toll in the ceasefire violations since Thursday to 12 and injuries to over 60.
“Two brothers, Ram Dass Bawa and Gopal Dass Bawa of Kanachak received grievous injuries after a mortar shell landed on their house,” said a police officer.
“Both were shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu where Gopal Dass Bawa was declared brought dead while condition of Ram Dass is also stated to be critical,” said the officer.
Schools continue to remain closed along the LoC and IB in Jammu region.
“There was night-long firing along the IB in Pargwal, Math, RS Pura, Arnia and Ramgarh sectors (of Jammu and Samba districts). It stopped at 0545 hours on Monday,” the officer said.
Pakistan Rangers resumed shelling along the IB in Kanachak sector of Jammu on Sunday night,” he said.
Pakistan troops also resumed heavy shelling along the LoC in Bhawani, Karali, Said, Numb and Sher Makri areas of Rajouri district on Sunday evening, officials said.
Seven civilians, three Armymen and two BSF personnel have so far been killed in the ceasefire violations.
While a BSF jawan and a teenage girl were killed on Thursday, four persons–two civilians, a BSF trooper and one Army personnel were killed and over 40 others injured in the cross-LoC firing on Friday.
Three civilians and an Army trooper were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations on Saturday.
BSF officials said authorities were keeping a close eye on the situation and had rushed police teams to affected areas to ensure prompt assistance to the people.
People had been asked to stay indoors and not to touch any suspicious object in their area as it could be an unexploded mortar shell, he said.
Firing from across the border started on Thursday and has forced 40,000 people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.
