BSF trooper injured in unprovoked firing by Pakistan along IB in Jammu

Jammu, Sep 11 (IANS) A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was injured on Wednesday in an unprovoked firing from Pakistan along the international border (IB) in Jammu district. The BSF retaliated to it with an adequate response, after which the firing from across the IB stopped. This violation of the bilateral ceasefire agreement between the two countries by Pakistan came at a time when Jammu & Kashmir is gearing up for the Assembly elections, being held after a gap of 10 years. A BSF spokesman said, “On September 11, an incident of unprovoked firing in the Akhnoor area from across the border happened which was befittingly responded to by the BSF. One BSF personnel sustained injuries in Pak firing; Troops are on high alert.” Security forces are maintaining a heightened vigil and aerial platforms are being utilised to provide over-watch. As many as eight Assembly constituencies spread across Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts along with 16 seats in the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam are going to polls in the first phase on September 18. Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts will vote in the second and third phases of the Assembly elections on September 25 and October 1.Hilly districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur in the Jammu division have witnessed terrorist ambush attacks against the army, security forces and civilians during the last two to three months. After reports that a group of hardcore foreign terrorists, believed to be 40 to 50 in number, are responsible for these attacks, the army deployed over 4,000 trained soldiers drawn from the elite Para commandos and those trained in mountain warfare inside the densely forested areas of these districts. –IANS sq/sha