Pak continues ceasefire violations: One more civilian killed as shelling spreads to new areas

Indian Military Veterans

One more civilian died as Pakistani mortar shelling spread to newer areas on the Indian side in R S Pura and Arnia secrtors on Saturday night.

Identifying the woman as Veero Devi of Suchetgarh, locals said that she died of shock when a mortar shell fell near her house. Though she did not sustain any splinter injury, she had a heart attack immediately after a mortar shell passed over her house and exploded nearby.

A village woman points at holes made allegedly by gunfire from the Pakistan side of the border at Jora Farm village. (Source: AP)

“They were firing 81 and 82 mm mortars on civilian areas whose use on civilian areas was banned as per Shimla agreement between the two countries,” locals said.

On Saturday night, they shelled 25 BSF outposts; three more than the previous night in both the sectors, official sources pointed out.

Two members of a Muslim family had died of splinter injuries and four others including a BSF jawan injured during wee hours of Saturday as Pakistani Rangers fired mortar shells on 22 BSF out posts in Arnia and R S Pura sector from 12.45 am to 7 am. While the civilian casualties had taken place at Jora Farm, the BSF jawan was injured in Arnia sector.

Meanwhile, official sources here said that there had been no let up in firing by Pakistan.

A woman displays a mortar shell allegedly fired on a residential area from the Pakistan side of the border in Ranbir Singh Pura region. (Source: AP Photo)

The continued shelling by Pakistani Rangers has triggered migration from various places along the International Border on the Indian side. Nearly 3,000 people from two dozen villages had arrived at Government High School, Rangpur and Government Industrial Training Institute, R S Pura.

Both these buildings were among various places already identified by the district administration for stay of people in case migration started from border areas in the wake of stepped up Pakistani firing.

The police and para military forces, according