Pak violates ceasefire, targets forward posts, villages along IB in J-K’s Kathua

Jammu: Pakistani Rangers violated the ceasefire overnight by unprovoked firing on forward posts and villages along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir”s Kathua district, officials said on Sunday.

The firing from across the border in Pansar, Manyari and Karol Krishna in Hiranagar sector started around 9.50 pm on Saturday, prompting strong and effective retaliation by the Border Security Force (BSF), they said.

The officials said cross-border firing between the two sides continued till 4.15 am on Sunday, and added that there was no report of any casualty or damage on the Indian side.

Frequent ceasefire violations by Pakistani soldiers over the last eight months have rendered lives miserable in border villages.

“The life is very difficult, and every night, we have to shift to underground bunkers due to Pakistani firing to save our lives,” Dharam Paul, a resident of Manyari village, said.

He said nearly a dozen houses in the village have been damaged in the firing and mortar shelling from Pakistan during the past two years.

“Pakistan has made our lives miserable,” Paul said. He alleged nobody was listening to the border residents, who were braving the mortar shelling and firing and still holding ground.

Meanwhile, BSF fired a few shots at a suspected drone, which was trying to enter into the Indian side from across the IB in Arnia sector of Jammu district on Saturday evening.

The officials said the drone-like object flying towards Indian territory was fired upon by the BSF, following which it immediately returned to the Pakistani side.

Security forces are maintaining high vigil along the border as Pakistan, over the past many months, have been using drones to airdrop weapons and narcotics.