In a troubling development just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Jammu for an election rally, Pakistani Rangers violated the ceasefire by firing along the international border in the Arnia sub-sector. The incident occurred on Friday, with Pakistani forces firing several rounds at Indian positions in the Pital Border Outpost area. Despite the provocation, Border Security Force (BSF) troops did not retaliate, and there were no casualties reported.
In a separate incident, security forces engaged in a gunbattle with terrorists in the Arnia sector, where a fourth militant was killed after being holed up in a bunker. This firefight occurred during a cordon and search operation launched by the forces to track down militants and recover the bodies of civilians killed in the previous day's gunbattle.
Arnia has been a frequent site of violence, with consistent cross-Line of Control (LoC) firing, especially in the context of the upcoming elections. On Thursday, terrorists in military fatigues killed three army jawans and three civilians in a gunbattle. The terrorists, who had crossed the border under cover fire from Pakistani Rangers, targeted civilians and security personnel, leading to a tragic loss of life.
The area has been on high alert due to recent terror threats, with intelligence reports suggesting possible attacks around the time of Modi's rallies. This follows a pattern of attacks on security forces and civilians near the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the ongoing security challenges in the region.