Jammu: Two days after killing seven Pakistani Rangers in retaliation to their sniper fire from across the border hitting a BSF jawan Gurnam Singh at Bobiya in Hiranagar sector, India on Sunday warned Pakistan that it will be made to pay a heavy price if it even tried to touch any of its soldiers.
“Though there has been peace along the borders for the last 24 hours, we have no doubt that the present peace can take another turn any moment and we are fully prepared for it,’’ said Additional Director General of Border Security Force Arun Kumar after laying wreath on the mortal remains of Gurnam Singh. “If they try to do any mischief, we will reply in the same manner we have given earlier,’’ he added.
Gurnam Singh, who was hit in the head by a sniper fire from Pakistan on Friday morning, succumbed to injuries after battling for life for two days in intensive care unit of Government Medical College Hospital here around Saturday midnight.
When asked whether the present peace construe lull before the storm, the BSF Additional DG Kumar said that “he cannot say anything at this moment, but we are prepared for any eventuality’’.
Referring to the killing of seven Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory fire on Friday, he said that “we have tried our best to give a befitting reply that even if our one man is touched, we will come very heavily on them and that they will have to pay a very heavy price for that’’.
About Gurnam Singh, he said that the BSF jawan was deployed on “mound No. 2” and he had been instrumental not only in foiling an infiltration attempt by a group of terrorists, but also killing one of them on the intervening night of October 19-20.
However, the next morning, a sniper fire from Pakistan side hit him on the same mound, he said, adding that BSF retaliated as it faced difficulty in evacuating him in view of firing from Pakistan side.
Pointing out that all possible medical treatment was given to the injured sepoy at Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu, he said “we had even decided to shift him to Delhi on Sunday and an air ambulance was also ready for it. However, unfortunately we lost him during night’’.
The infiltration attempt, which had been the first one along the international border after terror attack in Uri, exposes Pakistan’s direct involvement in helping terrorists infiltrate into our territory.
“We have seen through our technical surveillance as to how they gave cover fire to get terrorists infiltrate into our territory and that how our men repulsed that,’’ he added.
When asked about reports of build up by Pakistani troops across the border, he said “we are having that information and we are ready for any eventuality’’. “If they are building up, we are ready for that,’’ he added.
When asked as to how they can be sure of killing seven Pakistani Rangers on Friday, the Additional DG BSF said that they have equipment with which they can see across the border in view of its being in close proximity.
“We saw the same number of men on Pakistan side falling down after getting hit by bullets,’’ he added.
