Jammu: Pakistan Rangers opened unprovoked firing at five places in Akhnoor and R S Pura sectors of the international border in Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday evening, setting off intermittent exchange of gunfire, a BSF official said.
“Pakistan Rangers indulged in heavy shelling and small arms firing in Nikkowal area of R.S. Pura sector and Mal Jodha, Najwa, Mad Kulla and Pargwal areas of Akhnoor sector today evening,” a Border Security Force (BSF) officer said.
“Our troops have retaliated strongly. The firing started at 6.30pm this evening and intermittent firing exchanges were continuing at these places on the international border till reports last came in (around 8pm),” he added. No damage or casualty occurred on the Indian side.
Two BSF troopers were injured late on Thursday night in Pakistani firing on a BSF post in Nikkowal area of R S Pura sector.
While one of the injured troopers was admitted to the government medical college hospital in Jammu for specialized treatment, the other trooper sustained minor injuries, according to BSF officials. While the BSF is posted on the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, the army guards the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan in the state.
India has been accusing Pakistan of frequent violations of the bilateral ceasefire agreement signed by the two countries in November 2003.
In Jammu region alone, Pakistan has this year so far violated the ceasefire agreement more than 100 times.
Tension is growing in villages close to the LoC and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir because of trans-border firing this year. Residents at many such places are reported to have shifted families to safer locations away from the border.
Seemandhra MPs to resign again
New Delhi: Congress MPs from Seemandhra region, whose resignations were yesterday rejected by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, plan to again submit their resignations. A Sai Prathap of the Congress said the MPs would meet in a couple of days to take a decision on submitting the resignation letters in “speaker format”. “We will once again submit our resignations and if the speaker again rejects them, we will vote against Telan gana bill in parliament,” he said.
Another Congressman M Sreenivasalu Reddy said they still stand by the people of Seemandhra opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Another MP L Rajagopal, who recently moved the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the speaker to accept his resignation, said he would again meet the speaker on Monday to submit a fresh resignation letter.
He said the speaker appeared to have rejected the resignations on the ground that they were submitted on an emotional basis.
The speaker rejected the resignation of 13 MPs, including 10 from Congress party. Two MPs are from YSR Congress Party and one from Telugu Desam Party.
IANS
