Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah pats an Army dog as GOC 15 Corps Lt. Gen. Subrata Saha (left) looks. PTI
A day after defence minister Arun Jaitley warned Pakistan over its “adventurism”, the two countries’ border guards again exchanged small arms fire along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir. No casualties were, however, reported in the incident.
BSF officials blamed Pakistan’s Chenab Rangers for initiating the latest skirmish saying that after a lull of three days, they again resorted to “unprovoked” firing at its Border Out Posts (BoPs) along the IB in Samba district. “In yet another ceasefire violation, the Chenab Rangers resorted to small arms firing at Narainpur BoP along IB in Ramgarh sector of Samba district at about 10.30 am,” a senior J&K police officer Satesh Kumar confirmed.
The BSF said it only retaliated to the Pakistani firing in brief exchanges. “There was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing,” a BSF spokesman said.
In Pakistan, a military spokesperson said that it were the BSF troops who resorted to “bouts of unprovoked firing” in Sialkot’s Charwah sector on Wednesday morning. “Indian troops targeted the civil population in villages along the working boundary,” the spokesperson of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) office said. He added, “Aside from firing, the BSF also resorted to shelling after which the Chenab Rangers responded effectively.” ISPR director general Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa added, “We want peace with India, but we will retaliate when there is a violation.” BSF and police officials in Jammu said that the latest ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops came 72 hours after the last instance of firing.