Ceasefire violation: Pakistan continues to target BSF posts in Jammu, India retaliates

Indian Military Veterans

Pakistani troops on Sunday continued to violate the ceasefire by shelling and firing upon 25 Border Out Posts (BoPs) and 19 villages along the International Border in Jammu sector throughout the night, prompting the BSF to retaliate.

"Pak Rangers resorted to heavy firing of small and automatic weapons and shelling of mortars bombs on 25 BoPs and civilian areas along IB in Arnia and R S Pura sub-sectors of Jammu district from 8:30am last night (Saturday)," a BSF officer said on Sunday.

BSF troops gave a befitting reply by responding strongly and the heavy exchanges continued till 7:30am on Sunday, he said.

As per the official reports, Pakistan troops also targeted 19 Border villages throughout the night.

"Although there was no loss of human life or injury to anyone, three cows were killed in Treva border village in the shelling", sub-divisional police officer, RS Pura, Devender Singh said.

Civilian casualties have been avoided due to evacuation of villagers or night migration from over 20 border hamlets along IB in RS Pura and Arnia sub-sectors of Jammu district, he said.

This is the 15th ceasefire violation in the past 13 days.

On Saturday morning, Pakistan troops shelled Indian posts along the international border killed a 10-year-old boy and his father and forced hundreds of people to seek shelter in government buildings, with India warning it will respond adequately to such provocations.

Meanwhile, the Indian troops on Saturday discovered an incomplete underground tunnel leading from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir, the defence ministry said.

The tunnel was discovered in Pallanwala sector in Jammu district, around 50 metres on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).

Incidentally, PM Modi said a few days back that Pakistan was fighting a proxy war against India, referring to the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

So how many ceasefires occurred in the last few years and how many army personnel got killed?

Official data says that a total of 49 ceasefire violations took place along the Line of Control in 2014, till July 22. From 2009 to 2014, the total number of transgression incidents amounts to 432, which is an average of 86 incidents every year. The year 2013 had the highest attacks with 195 incidents. 4 army personnel were killed during this period while 32 were injured. Ceasefire infringement often figures in Parliamentary discussions.

Incidentally, 14 ceasefire violations in the last twelve days means that more than 60 ceasefire breaches this year. 2013 and 2014 has been highly hostile.

According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, India has a total international border length of 15,106 km. Of that 3,323 km is shared with Pakistan, around 22% of the total share.

Interestingly, PM Modi’s home state, Gujarat still has not fenced around 79 km and floodlighted 100 km of the border it shares with Pakistan. Meanwhile, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir have completed their sanctioned length.

Civilians are also killed and injured due to border crossfires on both the sides. However, no data on that is officially maintained, centrally. Traditionally, villagers at the border either stay indoors or migrate to safer places to avoid shelling.

All these incidents are routinely taken up at the highest level, usually talks between Director General of Military Operations (DsGMO) of India and Pakistan. There were reductions of borer tensions in 2013 after the two DGMO had a telephonic conversation on September, 25 and 29, 2013.

(With inputs from agencies)