E-Paper
Pak violates ceasefire, targets BSF men in Jammu’s Arnia sector
BSF retaliates after a ceasefire violation by Pakistan for the first time in 1.5 years, commandant level flag meet held; Both sides reiterate to abide by the truce deal
JAMMU Following the ceasefire violation in the Arnia sector, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pak Rangers held a flag meeting on the Indo-Pak international border and reiterated to abide by the truce deal, renewed by both the countries on February 25 last year.
“The company commander level meeting at 1:45 pm on the border ended in a cordial atmosphere,” said SPS Sandhu, DIG, BSF Jammu Frontier.
“The issue of unprovoked firing was discussed and both sides agreed to exercise maximum restraint on the border. Both sides agreed to respect the existing norms in the future. The meeting ended in a cordial atmosphere,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Rangers violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing at BSF troops along the international border (IB) in the Arnia sector.
However, no one was injured in the ensuing exchange of fire, officials said.
This is after a hiatus of one and a half years that the Pakistan Rangers violated the mutually brokered truce deal by opening small-arms fire on a BSF patrol along the Indo-Pak international border in the Arnia sector of Jammu district on Tuesday morning.
“As part of routine work, a few BSF men had gone beyond the border fence to clear wild vegetation near the Chinaz border outpost of the BSF around 8:40 am. However, Pak Rangers opened around 25 to 30 rounds of small arms fire on the BSF men,” said officials.
“Following unprovoked fire by the Rangers, BSF also retaliated,” they added.
A BSF spokesperson said that there was “unprovoked firing by Pak Rangers” on its patrol in the Arnia sector in Jammu.
In a brief statement issued here, the BSF said a fitting reply was given to the firing by the Rangers.
“Today morning the alert BSF Jammu troops gave a befitting reply to the unprovoked firing by Pakistan Rangers on BSF patrolling party in Arnia Sector,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The BSF Jammu Frontier IG, DK Boora also rushed to the Chinaz post to take stock of the situation.
It may be recalled that on February 25 last year, Pakistan renewed the mutually brokered truce deal with India all along the 221 km-long International Border (IB) and 744 km long LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.
Prior to February 25, 2021, there had been an escalation of firing and mortar shelling between India and Pakistan on the LoC and IB, in which many villagers on either side of the border were killed.
The intense exchange of fire had led to the migration of people and had badly disrupted normal life.
India, too, had shown no restraint in retaliatory fire. Consequently, Pakistan raised the white flag and asked India to renew the truce deal on February 25, 2021, which was first signed in November 2003 between the two countries.
India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the IB and 744km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
