BSF says Pak deliberately targeting civilian areas

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday said that Pakistani troops have over the past couple of weeks deliberately targeted civilian areas along the Indian side of the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts, resulting into several fatal and nonfatal injuries among the residents. It alleged that the Pakistan Army is actively involved in “unprovoked” ceasefire violations.

The BSF also released a video showing a Pakistani bunker being destroyed by its retaliatory fire. The BSF had earlier on Tuesday claimed destroying as many as 14 Pakistani bunkers in retaliatory action. BSF’s inspector general D.K. Upadhyay said that the retaliatory actions from the Indian side are specifically aimed at targeting the Pakistani bunkers and that the civilian casualties reported on the other side of the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) may have resulted in “collateral” damage.

Meanwhile, while the IB, which is called ‘Working Boundary’ by Islamabad, remained largely quiet after witnessing deadly clashes between the facing border guards during past about two weeks, the Pakistani troops on Wednesday again fired small arms and mortars to target Indian forward posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Bhimber Gali sector of Rajouri district, the Army said. Earlier, three civilians were injured in Pakistani shelling Mendhar and Balakot sectors of neighbouring Poonch district, the officials said. Mr Upadhyay, while addressing a press conference in Jammu, said that the Pakistan Army is giving full support to Pakistan Rangers who have indulged in “countless” violations of the November 2003 ceasefire agreement since October 21 along the IB. “Pakistani forces are firing heavy mortars deliberately towards Indian civilian areas. BSF never fires towards any Pakistani civilian area. We fire only towards military bunkers from where Pakistani forces fire. Our retaliation has been very accurate and measured,” he said reiterating that the BSF’s “accurate and coordinate firing” has resulted in heavy damage on a number of Pakistani bunkers.

He did not say how many Pakistan Rangers may have died or injured in the shelling by the BSF but said that normally three persons man each bunker.

Asked about the civilian casualties caused in firing and shelling on the other side of the border, he said that if there was any civilian casualty in the Pakistani side, it was because the civilian population live very close to the military bunkers that might have resulted in “collateral” damage. He showed images of BSF’s firing which targeted only military bunkers in Pakistan.

A defence spokesman said that the Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations in Rajouri’s Bhimber Gali sector from 12. 30 pm on Wednesday. Also, small arms and mortar guns were used to target Indian forwards positions and civilian areas in Poonch’s Mendhar and Balakot sections, leaving three civilians injured. The spokesman said that the Pakistani troops fired automatic weapons and also 120 and 82 mm mortar bombs.

A total of 18 people including 12 civilians have been killed and scores wounded in the firing and shelling on the Indian side of the IB and the LoC since the last week of September when the Army conducted surgical strikes across the de facto border to target the launch-pads of militants. Following intense and relentless shelling, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday ordered closure of all 174 schools in areas close to the IB and over 200 more along the LoC in both Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley.