Five killed, 29 wounded in Pak firing in J&K (Roundup)

Five civilians were killed and 29 wounded on the auspicious Eid-ul Azha day Monday in one of the worst instances of ceasefire violations as Pakistan Rangers opened fire indiscriminately along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials said the Pakistan Army also violated the 2003 bilateral ceasefire in Poonch district of the state.

The border firing evoked a strong response from the government with Home Minister Rajnath Singh warning that "times have changed in India" and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley stating that forces were responding to each provocation.

A police official told IANS in Jammu that five civilians, including a 15-year-old girl and her 50-year-old father, were killed in indiscriminate mortar shelling and automatic weapons firing from Pakistan in Arnia sub-sector of R.S. Pura.

"So far, 29 people, most of them civilians, have been injured in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan... The Pakistani Rangers are using mortars and automatic weapons in the attack," the official said.

The injured were admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu.

Witnesses said Pakistani mortar shells had fallen inside the Arnia bus stand, which is more than four km away from the international border.

Senior civil and police officials rushed to Arnia to take stock of the situation.

Jammu Divisional Commissioner Shant Manu told IANS: "We have already put in place a contingency plan to minimise civilians' casualties. The situation is being closely monitored by us. I have visited the area in the morning. Firing exchanges have now stopped there."

After Border Security Force (BSF) Director General D.K. Pathak apprised him of the situation, Rajnath Singh said Pakistan should stop violating the 2003 ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir. "Pakistan should stop ceasefire violations. It should understand the reality that times have changed in India."

Jaitley said the country's defence forces and paramilitary forces were "fully ready and were responding to each of their (Pakistan's) provocations".

He said the environment being created by Pakistan will not help in normalising relationship between the two countries.

In August, India cancelled scheduled foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan over the continuing border violations and Pakistani envoy's meetings with separatists.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who rushed to Jammu from Srinagar to attend the cremation of the five civilians, said Pakistan's indiscriminate cross-border firing only showed the country's frustration over its failure to rake up the Kashmir issue.

Hours after the incident, the Pakistan Army opened unprovoked firing at Indian positions along the Line of Control in Poonch district, a defence ministry official said here.

"Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire in Bhimber Ghali area of the Line of Control by resorting to unprovoked firing at our positions," defence ministry spokesman Col. Manish Mehta told IANS.

"Pakistan Army is using mortars and automatics. Equal effective response of the unprovoked firing was given by our soldiers. No casualty is reported on our side," he said.

The Indian Army guards the LoC while paramilitary Border Security Force guards the international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan, meanwhile, alleged violation of the ceasefire by Indian security forces leading to the deaths of four civilians. It lodged a protest with the Indian government over what it called "unprovoked firing" at Charwah sector.

It said the firing started at midnight and continued till Monday morning.