Rangers violated truce 105 times on J&K International Border: BSF

Jammu Oct 23 (IANS) Pakistan Rangers have violated the ceasefire 105 times this year along the 200-km international border in Jammu and Kashmir the Border Security Force (BSF) said on Monday.

A senior BSF officer told the media that a woman and a BSF trooper were killed and 19 others including 12 civilians and seven BSF troopers were injured in the ceasefire violations.

Jammu and Kashmir has a 200-km international border which is guarded by the BSF on the Indian side and by the Rangers on the Pakistan side.

The officer said over 10 000 border residents were forced to temporarily migrate from their homes after the Rangers targeted civilian facilities.

"There have been nearly 12 000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since 2002 which resulted in the killing of 313 people including 144 security personnel.

"The highest number of violations took place in 2002 when 8 376 incidents were reported while 2 045 incidents took place in 2003."

India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border in November 2003.

The agreement brought a modicum of peace along the border and held well for nearly four years.

--IANS
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