A rocket fired by the Border Security Force (BSF) flies towards its target
Highlights
- Precision firing by BSF inflicts heavy losses to Pakistani forces
- BSF fired rocket at target in highly strategic "Chicken Neck" area
- BSF says they are responding to Pakistani shelling
Pakistani forces were forced to "plead for ceasefire" after Indian troops retaliated forcefully to heavy shelling and firing from across the border, the Border Security Force said today. The firing was on for three days before the plea came from Pakistani forces. The paramilitary Pakistan Rangers, which guards the border, called up the BSF unit in Jammu this morning and requested for a ceasefire, a senior officer of the BSF said.
The Indian response started after unprovoked shelling and firing from Pakistan killed a soldier of the Border Security Force and injured another in Jammu's Arnia Sector. The intermittent firing from across the border had started since 4 am on Friday - a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to visit the state.
Last week, another BSF personnel was killed along the border area in Jammu while preventing an infiltration bid.
Today, the BSF officer said precision fire of the troops on Pakistani positions "inflicted heavy losses". On Saturday, "they found their mark with one of the rangers in chicken neck area," the officer said.
In a video released by the BSF, a rocket is seen flying towards its target -- a Pakistani bunker. In the black and white footage of what appears to be an infrared camera, the fast-moving projectile is seen hitting the structure, causing a massive explosion.
The rocket was fired in the highly strategic "Chicken's Neck" area -- surrounded on three sides by Pakistani forces -- in Akhnoor, some 30 kilometres from Jammu.
Pakistani forces had been shelling Indian positions with heavy mortars before India responded to the threat. "We were expecting such an incident because the harvesting season is over. Once the harvesting season gets over, they always make such mischief," BSF Inspector General Ram Awtar had said on Friday.
On Friday, a BSF jawan, 28-year-old Sitaram Upadhyay, was killed. Officials said he had joined the BSF in 2011. Another BSF jawan, Devender Singh, was killed in Pakistani firing on May 15.
His death took the number of people killed in Pakistani firing along the International Border and the Line of Control to 34. Eighteen of them were security personnel.