JAMMU: The intermittent exchange of fire between Pakistani Rangers and BSF personnel along the International Border in Arnia and RS Pura sectors of Jammu district ended early Friday, officials said. It continued for close to seven hours.
Scores of families that had fled the border hamlets overnight after the unprovoked firing by Pakistani Rangers have now started returning to their homes.
A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan and a civilian were injured in the cross-border firing targeting five Indian posts along the International Border (IB) on Thursday night.
BSF Constable Basva Raj suffered minor splinter injuries in both hands due to shelling. A local, Rajni Devi of Arnia, suffered minor injuries, it said. They were shifted to the GMC Hospital in Jammu
"BSF continues to monitor the developments closely while assessing the situation and remains alert to respond as necessary to ensure the safety and security of the border and its residents," the force said.
The BSF had effectively retaliated to the firing.
"The firing has stopped (from across the border). There is calm now", a senior BSF officer said.
Pakistan Rangers had fired 82 and 120 mm mortar shells and used heavy machine guns, triggering fear among the border dwellers.
Several people in Arnia, Treva, Suchetgarh and Jabowal, particularly migrant labourers, had left the border hamlets on Thursday night when the unprovoked firing started.
Several families had taken shelter in bunkers, temples and other safe areas in the border area.
People of border villages said they witnessed such intense firing and shelling after many years.
"We were eating food when the firing began. We left the food and ran along with our families," Joginder Kumar, a labourer from Bihar, said. Kumar, who along with 51 others, including women and children, had taken shelter in a temple in Arnia after leaving a forward village due to shelling, said they were terrified.
"We had heard about it (firing). Now we have seen it", he said.
In a forward hamlet where a mortar shell hit a house, Ekta Devi said, "By God's grace, we were saved. There was a lot of firing till this morning. All glass windows broke".
Another villager Rakesh Kumar, who along with several villagers had taken shelter in a bunker in the forward village, said they are now returning to their village.
"There was intense firing and shelling after many years. There was peace for the past two years. Pakistan cannot be trusted", he said.
Many videos went viral on social media which showed people fleeing their dwellings when the firing started. In Arnia, many guests fled from a wedding ceremony when the firing started. We continued with the marriage.
Most of the people left after the firing started, Kuldeep, a relative of the bridegroom said. This is the second ceasefire violation in October.
On October 19, two BSF jawans were injured in firing by Pakistan Rangers at the Vikram post along the IB in the Arnia sector.
India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021, in which both nations agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.