Pak rangers 'plead' BSF to stop retaliatory firing as trooper killed across IB

Jammu: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday said that the Pakistan Rangers today "pleaded" with them to stop firing along the International Border (IB) after being pounded with heavy artillery that also left a trooper dead across the border.

The border guarding force also released a 19-second thermal-imagery footage showing the destruction of a Pakistani picket across the border in retaliation to the unprovoked firing and shelling along the IB.     

“(Pakistan) Rangers called up Jammu BSF formation today and beseeched to stop firing,” a BSF spokesman said.

"The befitting reply by BSF units to the unprovoked shelling and firing across the IB by Pakistani forces has forced them to plead for ceasefire," a senior official said.

"For the last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pakistani firing locations inflicted heavy losses and yesterday this firing found their mark with one of the rangers in chicken neck area," the official said.

The BSF had lost two of its jawans in this latest round of unprovoked firing on the Jammu IB over the last few days. A number of civilians were also killed and injured in the Jammu area due to this firing incident which was seen to have increased in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a spurt in Pakistani shelling and firing along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) this year. Over 700 incidents of fire and shelling were reported, which left 38 people including 18 security personnel dead and scores injured.