Two senior BSF officers on Sunday visited and assessed the situation at Kothay post — along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district — that witnessed a heavy exchange of fire in which a jawan of the border patrol force was injured.
There was heavy exchange of fire on the border post on Saturday following the violation of ceasefire by Pakistan Rangers, in which Head Constable Baljeet Singh of 68 Battalion was injured.
IG BSF, Jammu, Rajiv Krishna along with DIG Virender Singh took stock of the situation at the Kothay border post in Hiranagar area.
“We retaliated strongly and silenced their guns,” Mr. Singh told reporters after assessing the situation.
He added that the BSF will organise a flag meeting with the Pakistan Rangers to register their protest.
Asked whether it was deliberate attempt by the Pakistani troops to help intruders sneak into Indian territory ahead of the Independence Day, Mr. Singh said, “It may possible.”
He, however, added that BSF troops were alert and ready to foil any “sinister” designs of the neighbouring country.
“Every year such circumstances arise, but we are ready to fight. Our forces are alert and are ready 24x7,” he said.
Meanwhile, the people along the border post lodged a protest against the firing by Pakistan Rangers and raised slogans against the neighbouring country.
Around 200 to 250 people from Manyari village led by the vice chairman of Border Union, Bharat Bushan, asked Pakistan to stop troubling the innocent farmers cultivating their lands along the border.
“They are not letting us live in peace. It is the season of paddy cultivation but there is so much terror among the people that they won’t be able to cultivate their lands along the zero line,” Mr. Bushan said.
