A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel was injured on Wednesday in the Akhnoor area of Jammu after Pakistani troops opened unprovoked fire on Indian posts, violating a ceasefire agreement along the border.
The BSF responded to the firing, although officials stated that the extent of Pakistani casualties was not immediately known.
“On 11 Sept 2024, around 2:35 AM, unprovoked firing occurred in the Akhnoor area from across the border, which was met with an appropriate response by the BSF. One BSF personnel sustained injuries due to Pakistani firing. Troops are on high alert,” the BSF said in a statement.
Ceasefire violations have been rare since India and Pakistan renewed their ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021. However, a BSF jawan was killed last year in a similar incident by Pakistan Rangers in the Ramgarh sector, marking the first such casualty on the Indian side in over three years.
This ceasefire violation comes just days before the first phase of the upcoming three-phase assembly elections, set to begin on September 18. The second phase is scheduled for September 25, followed by the third phase on October 1.
In preparation for the elections, the Union government has deployed paramilitary forces, particularly in light of a recent rise in terror attacks in the Jammu region since June. It is believed that 60 to 80 terrorists infiltrated the region in March-April this year, with Pakistan continuing to push more militants, prompting intensified counter-insurgency operations by security forces.
BSF Director General Daljit Singh visited the Jammu border on August 22 for a security review. The Union government has also retained around 450 paramilitary companies initially deployed for the Amarnath Yatra, while an additional 450 companies have been sent for election duty.
