Four civilians injured in Pakistani firing

Jammu, July 16  Four people working on their fields in villages near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir were injured in Pakistan firing on Thursday, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the region.

"Four persons working on the fields were injured in Pakistan firing in R.S. Pura sector today (Thursday) morning," a police officer told IANS.

The injured were identified as Balvinder Singh, Roop Lal, Sandev Kumar and Varinder Kumar. They have been shifted to hospitals for treatment.

Meanwhile, a posting on Dawn online said one person was killed and three injured on Thursday in Pakistan's Sialkot district in cross-border firing.

According to Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations, the victim was 45-year-old Ghulam Mustafa, a resident of Malana village.

Heavy firing exchanges between India and Pakistan started on Thursday around 7.05 a.m. at four border outposts.

On Wednesday, a woman was killed and four other people - two troopers and two civilians - were injured in indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan Rangers in Akhnoor sector of the International Border.

Villagers living close to the border showed journalists bullet marks and gaping holes made by Pakistan mortar shelling in their houses.

The present escalation of tensions and violation of bilateral ceasefire agreement by Pakistan comes after the prime ministers of two countries pledged to building peace in a joint statement.