BSF chief visits Punjab border spot after ‘rocket’ attack

ATTARI - Amid security concerns in Punjab’s border belt following Saturday night’s ‘rocket’ attack on Indian territory from the Pakistani side, the Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) M.L. Kumawat Monday visited the village site where the shells had fallen.

“He also talked to the villagers in the area,” BSF’s Punjab frontier Deputy Inspector General Jagir Singh, who was accompanying Kumawat, told IANS.

He said that Kumawat “patiently heard the account of the Saturday night incident from eyewitnesses. He also assured the villagers of foolproof security arrangements.”

Meanwhile, the BSF officials are still awaiting a response from Pakistan Rangers regarding the incident.

The BSF had lodged a “strong protest” with the Pakistan Rangers, the border security agency of Pakistan, Sunday evening following three ‘rockets’ being fired into Indian territory from the Pakistani side of the border.

No casualty was reported on the Indian side even though two of the shells landed near villages well inside the Indian territory. One resident from Dhande village along the border claimed that he was injured by a splinter from a shell.

Singh stated: “We are expecting the status report or an official reply from the Pakistan side in a day or two. Yesterday, we had apprised them of the whole situation and also lodged a formal protest with the concerned Pakistani authorities.”

“The overall situation in the region is normal and we have taken full control. Normally, we have tight security here, but keeping in mind Saturday’s incident, we have taken additional security measures. We have also told Pakistani Rangers to maintain foolproof security on their side,” he added.

The BSF has beefed up security arrangements at the Attari-Wagah border checkpost, 30 km from Amritsar city, for the retreat ceremony that is witnessed by thousands of visitors every evening.

“The retreat ceremony is an important event and usually there is a heavy rush at that time so we cannot take any chance. We have already tightened security at the checkpost.”

BSF is India’s paramilitary force that guards the 553-km fenced border between India and Pakistan in Punjab.

According to BSF officials, one shell landed on the Indian side of the border in the paddy fields of Dhande village near the Attari-Wagah land border joint check post.

After this another shell fell in the open field at Baharwal village in the Indian territory. The third shell landed on the Pakistani side, close to Indian village Pul Kanjari, BSF officials said.

A BSF official, requesting anonymity, told IANS: “It is all very unfortunate and we cannot deny the possibility of the involvement of Pakistan-based terror groups behind this ‘rocket’ attack. We are examining the collected splinters and our inquiry is on and very soon we will reach some conclusion.”

The ‘rocket’ attack came in the wake of the killing of a Pakistani national by the BSF near Roranwala village near the joint check post Saturday evening as he tried to run from the Pakistani side into Indian territory. BSF officials said the man could be linked to terrorists and the ‘rocket’ attack could be in retaliation.

“The man, who was running towards the Indian side, was asked to stop and warned but he did not pay heed and our troops opened fire,” a BSF official said.

The Pakistani side refused to admit that the killed man was from their country. His body was brought to a hospital in Amritsar.

The rocket attack came within hours.

“Some of the villagers who were sleeping on their terraces saw two projectiles with sparks coming from the Pakistan side and landing in the fields here,” Dhande village sarpanch (headman) Mukhtiar Singh said.

He added: “After hearing the deafening blasts, when people came out, they saw a crater (nearly 10-feet wide) in one of the paddy fields,” stated Singh.