Thaindian News

Jammu, Sep 18 (IANS) Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were seriously injured in firing from Pakistan Thursday and Friday, leading to Indian protests. But the Pakistan Rangers denied they were involved.
As Constables Bandip Gogoi and Rajinder Singh were hospitalised here, BSF and Pakistan Rangers officials met at 11.30 a.m. Friday to defuse tensions along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident took place at the Nikowal border post, about 30 km west of Jammu city.

“We told the Pakistanis very clearly that we are not going to tolerate this any more and the response next time will be stronger,” a BSF official told IANS.

The BSF and the unidentified Pakistanis traded gunfire at least thrice since the first burst of gunfire from across the border late Thursday evening left Gogoi and Rajinder Singh badly wounded.

Gogoi took a bullet in the back while a bullet tore through Rajinder Singh’s right eye. Both were in visible agony at the Government Medical College hospital in Jammu. Gogoi is from Assam while Rajinder Singh is from Rajasthan.

Indian officials said initially they were not sure if the firing came from the Pakistani forces or Islamist militants trying to sneak into India.

One officer said there was indeed an attempt by five guerrillas to breach the barbed border.

Indian officials insisted that the Thursday-Friday firing, even if by militants, could not have happened without some official connivance.

BSF Inspector General A.K. Surolia said the Pakistan Rangers were frustrated over their failure to push the militants into Jammu and Kashmir in support of separatist guerrillas already in the Indian state.

“This sort of assault cannot take place without the connivance of the (Pakistani) establishment,” he told journalists.

The Pakistan Rangers, who guard the border, denied firing into India and said they had no knowledge of the incident.

Their stunned Indian colleagues immediately retaliated. After a lull, a second round of firing reportedly took place at night and again after dawn Friday, leading to further Indian retaliation.

“A bullet hit his back and it has still not been taken out,” said Gogoi’s colleague Shrikant Pawar. A doctor said the pros and cons of removing the bullet was being discussed.

Rajinder Singh’s right eye was bandaged with the bullet still inside. “He has been referred to specialists,” the doctor said.

India has erected a barbed wire fence inside Indian territory to check infiltration along the 220-km international border in the Jammu region as well as the 720-km Line of Control (LoC) dividing the state between India and Pakistan.

Officials said the barbed wire fence was inspected.

“There was no breach, which rules out the possibility of infiltration. Also, there were no tell-tale signs to suggest that infiltrators have come in. But we are closely watching and are on high alert.”

The police and the army, however, have their fingers crossed. A high security alert has been been stepped up in and around Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

Intelligence reports say some militants may have sneaked in to strike during the coming festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Navratra. Eid is on Monday while Navratra starts Saturday.

The police have erected additional frisking points on various roads leading to the city. Villagers around the area have been asked to remain alert about suspicious characters.