J&K: 727 border residents evacuated after Pakistani firing

Hundreds of frightened villagers along the International Border in Jammu have fled to safer places in the last 24-hours.

Six civilians were injured on Thursday as Pakistani troops targeted Indian border outposts and villages along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Samba districts.

"As many as 727 civilians (living along the borderline with Pakistan) were evacuated to safer places from these areas (Arnia, R S Pura and Ramgarh sectors)", a police spokesman said on Friday.

Of these, 78 Gujjars living in Jorafarm village were caught in shelling and evacuated by the police.Similarly, others were evacuated from other villages located along the IB in Arnia border.

There has been continuous firing and shelling by Pakistani troops along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) this week.

Pakistani troops targeted more than 15 BoPs on Thursday. Indian troops retaliated effectively. The exchange of fire went on intermittently till late last night.

Pakistani troops had also shelled Jerdha hamlet in Ramgarh sector of Samba district.

Earlier this week, J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had appealed for peace on borders and sought end to hostilities between India and Pakistan saying it is the people of the State who suffer the brunt of these skirmishes.

PTI