A Border Security Force trooper was killed and seven civilians were injured on Thursday during heavy shelling between Indian and Pakistani forces in Jammu district’s R.S. Pura sector, officials said.
In retaliatory fire, a Pakistan Ranger was killed and another injured in R.S. Pura and Arnia sectors, BSF said.
BSF spokesperson Shubhendu Bhardwaj told IANS that head constable Jitendra Kumar, resident of Motihari in Bihar, died after sustaining splinter injuries during shelling at Abdullian in R.S. Pura sector.
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Kumar, 45, was inducted in the BSF in 1991. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
Police said that the seven injured civilians, including five women belonging to two families of Goparbasti village, have been shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Pakistani troopers also started indiscriminate shelling and firing on the international border in the neighbouring Samba district.
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“Pakistan Rangers targeted BSF positions in S.M. Pur, Nanga and Chambyal villages of Samba district.
“People from shelling affected villages of R.S. Pura and Akhnoor in Jammu district and areas of Samba district have started moving to safer locations,” the police said.
Intermittent shelling and firing exchanges continued in both Samba and R.S. Pura.
“There was heavy firing and mortar shelling on border outposts and villages along IB in R.S. Pura and Arnia sectors of Jammu district overnight and continued till this morning”, a police officer said.
Pakistani posts started firing heavy mortars towards the Indian side at 8.35 p.m., a BSF officer said.
“Heavy mortar shells were fired towards Arnia last night”, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.
On Wednesday, an officer of the BSF was injured when a shell fired by Pakistan Rangers exploded near him during in R.S. Pura sector along the IB in Jammu.
As many as 16 people mostly women have been injured in the cross-border firing in the R.S. Pura sector in the past two days.
Assistant Sub Inspector of BSF A.K. Upadhayay was injured when a shell exploded near him in R.S. Pura sector.He received splinter injures in his hand.
Eight civilians were injured in shelling in R.S. Pura and Arnia on October 25.