JAMMU, Oct 6 � In one of the worst ceasefire violations by Pakistan, five villagers were killed and 34 injured today in heavy mortar shelling and firing from across the International Border and Line of Control in Jammu and Poonch sectors, triggering strong condemnation by India, reports PTI.
Pakistani troops indulged in heavy and unprovoked firing and shelling of mortars on 10 border outposts (BoPs) and civilian areas along the International Border (IB) in Arnia belt of Jammu district from 10 pm, spilling over to this morning, a BSF spokesman said.
BSF troops retaliated effectively and gave a befitting reply, he said, adding that the intermittent firing exchanges were on in the area when reports last came in.
In the shelling, five villagers were killed and 34 injured in several hamlets, SSP Jammu, Uttam Chand told PTI.
In New Delhi, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley deplored the ceasefire violations from across the border and said the Indian armed forces were �fully ready� and are responding to each of these provocations from across the border.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, �Pakistan should stop ceasefire violations now and understand the reality that times have changed in India.�
J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who flew to Jammu immediately after his Eid prayers in Srinagar, strongly condemned the shelling on civilians, saying targeting them exposed the frustration of the Pakistani government after its failure to gain international attention on the Kashmir issue.
�They (the Pakistani leadership) have nothing else to speak, but only Kashmir. Whenever they go abroad, they try to raise only the Kashmir issue, but every time they miserably fail to get international attention. The cross-border shelling is an indication of their frustration,� he told reporters after meeting civilians injured in the shelling at the Government Medical College Hospital here.
