Pak forces deliberately hitting civil population: BSF
Jammu Tawi, Nov 2 : Pakistan's border guarding paramilitary force Rangers, with the help of its army, is deliberately shelling Indian civilian areas which is a violation of international norms, BSF said here today.
BSF Inspector General D K Upadhyay said his force does not target civilian population of Pakistan and to buttress his point, he released a video clip showing targeting of a military post across the International Border, amid assertion that 14 Pakistani posts had been destroyed in retaliatory fire.
“We have replied and retaliated almost on all the posts where from the fire has come,” he said.
In Delhi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government will do whatever necessary “to protect the honour and prestige of the country.”
Addressing a press conference here amid escalation on the border, Upadhyay said Pakistan Rangers have violated ceasefire “countless” times in recent past and Pakistan Army is giving full support to its paramilitary force.
“Pakistani forces are firing heavy mortars deliberately towards Indian civilian areas. BSF never fires towards any Pakistani civilian area. We fire only towards military bunkers from where Pakistani forces fire. We have inflicted heavy damage on 14 Pakistani bunkers,” he said.
Pakistan has violated the “human rights and international norms” by targeting civilian areas, Upadhyay said, a day after 8 people, including two children and four women, were killed in Jammu province due to Pakistani shelling and firing.
The IG said if there has been any civilian casualty on the Pakistani side, it might be “collateral” damage since civil population lives very close to the military bunkers on that side.
To prove his point, he displayed a video clip of ‘Hand Held Thermal Imager' (HHTI), showing BSF retaliating to a barrage of shelling with a specific assault decimating a Pakistani post.
Pakistan had yesterday claimed that its six civilians were killed in cross-border firing by Indian troops.
“Our accurate firing have resulted in huge damage to their bunkers and security posts.
BSF only targets the military establishments but not the civilian areas. It is duly verified from this video clip,” the BSF IG said.
“The Indian retaliation was measured and accurate, and aimed at military targets, rather than Pakistan civil population,” Upadhyay said.
He said “an accurate and coordinated fire assault by the BSF executed with complete precision, destroyed a number of Pakistani forward morchas and posts.” BSF had yesterday said it had destroyed 14 Pakistani posts.
“Inputs from sources reveal several casualties to Pakistani Rangers and serious damage to 14 Pakistani Rangers' posts and numerous defence bunkers,” he said. .
