Pak shelling kills BSF jawan along border, injures 6 ahead PM Modi's visit

A BSF jawan was killed while six persons, including a BSF officer, were injured as Pakistan Rangers heavily shelled villages and Border out Posts (BoPs) in Jammu early on Friday, a senior officer said.
 

This is third day of shelling and firing by Pakistan troops along the IB in Jammu frontier and comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
 

Pakistan Rangers increased the arch of mortar shelling to R S Pura, Bishnah and Arnia sectors of Jammu by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing since 0100 hours in these sectors, a senior BSF officer told PTI.
 

BSF troops guarding the borderline retaliated and exchanges are going on when reports last came in from the area, he said.

The slain jawan was identified as 28-year-old constable Sitaram Upadhyaya of 192 Battalion. He was critically injured at Jabowal BoP around 0130 hours and died en route to GMC Hospital in Jammu.
 

Upadhyay hailed from Giridih in Jharkhand and joined the force in 2011. He is survived by a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter, officials said.
 

An Assistant Sub Inspector of BSF suffered a splinter injury at Pittal BoP, the officer said adding that he has been admitted to a hospital.
 

In the heavy Pakistan shelling in R S Pura and Arnia sectors, five civilians have been injured and evacuated to hospitals by police in bullet proof vehicles, a police officer said.
 

He said three civilians have been injured in Arnia sector and two in R S Pura sectors. Several houses have suffered damage and few animals have died.
 

SDPO, R S Pura, Sahil Prashur said police is using bullet-proof vehicles to evacuate the injured to the hospital and is reaching out to the people in shelling-hit zones.
 

In view of the shelling, the administration has activated the shelter set up.
 

However, there was a lull in the shelling in Kathua and Samba districts.
 

"There was no firing and shelling from across the border since yesterday in Kathua and Samba districts", the officer said.  Yesterday, a BSF jawan was among two persons injured when Pakistan Rangers opened fire and lobbed mortars at over 15 border outposts (BOPs) and some civilian areas along the International Border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
 

On May 15, a 28-year-old BSF jawan was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by opening fire on forward posts to help infiltrators cross the International Border in Samba sector. Troops have also foiled four infiltration bids along the IB since May 12.