5 civilians killed, thirty others injured in cross border shelling in Jammu border areas

Jammu: At least five civilians were killed and thirty others, including three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, were injured in the latest round of flare-up along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, said a media report.
Reports said that heavy firing was reported in Hiranagar, Samba, Kathua, Arnia and RS Pura areas of Jammu division throughout the night.
Quoting BSF officials, the report said that nearly 40 of their border outposts were targeted by the Pakistan Rangers.
As a precautionary move, all schools within 5-km radius from the IB have been ordered to remain closed.
“The Pakistan Rangers indulged in heavy and indiscriminate shelling of mortar bombs and firing of small arms and automatic weapons on Tuesday night, targeting villages in the Ramgarh and Samba sectors,” a police officer said.
The Pakistani side resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing at the Border Security Force and civilian facilities for the third consecutive on Wednesday, a police officer said.
Although the BSF was strongly and effectively retaliating, the officer said that there were confirmed large scale migration from R.S. Pura, Arnia, Ramgarh and other sectors close to the international border (IB).
Over 40,000 border villagers were forced to migrate from their homes due to the shelling, said the officer.