Jammu and Kashmir: Jawan injured as Pakistan targets border posts, civilian areas

Pakistan Rangers opened fire and lobbed mortars at over 15 Border Out Posts and some civilian areas along the International Border (IB) in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir overnight, leaving a BSF jawan injured, an official said on Thursday.

BSF troops guarding the borderline retaliated and the exchange of fire was going on when reports last came in, a senior BSF officer told the news agency.

"Pakistan Rangers violated the ceasefire and resorted to heavy and unprovoked mortar shelling and firing along the IB on 10 to 15 BoPs in Samba and Kathua districts since last night", the officer said.

In the exchanges, a BSF jawan suffered injuries and has been hospitalised, the officer said.

On May 15, a 28-year-old BSF jawan was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by opening fire on forward posts to help infiltrators cross the International Border (IB) in Samba sector. Troops also foiled four infiltration bids along the IB since Sunday.

The BSF jawan's death took the number of persons killed in over 700 incidents of Pakistani shelling along the IB and Line of Control (LoC) in the State to 33, the highest this year. The deceased included 17 security personnel.