- Title: INDIA: GOVERNMENT TROOPS TRADE FIRE WITH PAKISTANI TROOPS ACROSS KASHMIR BORDER
- Date: 21st May 2002
- Summary: GLARD VILLAGE, SAMBA, INDIA (MAY 19, 2002) (ANI) SLV DESERTED GLARD VILLAGE, ONE KILOMETRE FROM THE LINE OF CONTROL IN SAMBA SECTOR; SCU UPROOTED BOARD OF WELFARE DEPARTMENT; SLV PAN OF DESERTED VILLAGE (3 SHOTS) MV VILLAGERS SHOWING A SHELL FIRED FROM PAKISTANI SIDE; SCU SHELL (2 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) RAM PRAKASH, RESIDENT OF GLARD VILLAGE, SAYING "At six in the morning today, this shell from Pakistan fell here. In all 25 shells hit this village. Many animals have died. Some people have also been injured." SLV DAMAGED HOUSE SAMBA, INDIA (MAY 19, 2002) (ANI) SLV CAMP WHERE PEOPLE FROM BORDER AREAS HAVE BEEN HOUSED; SLV PEOPLE IN CAMP; MV WOMAN WITH HER CHILDREN (3 SHOTS) URI, INDIA (MAY 19, 2002) (ANI) SLV AMBULANCE ARRIVES; MV INJURED PERSON BEING BROUGHT TO A HOSPITAL; MV INJURED IN HOSPITAL; MV RELATIVES OF INJURED SITTING (6 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) NISSAR AHMED, AN INJURED MAN, SAYING "I was injured after a shell landed near me. I don't know from where did it come." MV INJURED WOMAN IN HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) BARAMULLA DISTRICT SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE SHOWKAT MALIK SAYING "One person has been killed and nine others injured in shelling from across the border in Uri. Two personnel from Border Security Force (BSF) have also been injured." SLV STREET IN URI TOWN NEW DELHI, INDIA (MAY 19, 2002) (ANI) SLV INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE MEETING OPPOSITION CONGRESS PARTY LEADER SONIA GANDHI (4 SHOTS) NEW DELHI, INDIA (MAY 19, 2002) (ANI) (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTAN'S HIGH COMMISSIONER TO INDIA ASHRAF JEHANGIR QAZI SAYING "Our government has already responded by saying that this is the very unfortunate decision and this will not be a step in the direction of reducing tensions. That is also my view. In addition I am very sorry to leave India after having stayed in India for five years. We have seen easy times and very difficult times, but it has been enjoyable assignment. I have made many life-long friends here and so have my family. I will be very sorry to leave Delhi in these circumstances. It was my wish to have left Delhi with the relationship between India and Pakistan in better shape then when I founded. That is the wish of every high commissioner, but I unfortunately cannot say that is the case so. I am leaving with a little bit of sadness on that account." NEW DELHI, INDIA (MAY 19, 2002) (ANI) SLV ANTI-U.S. (UNITED STATES) DEMONSTRATION; MV PROTESTERS SHOUTING: "Declare Pakistan a terrorist state"; SLV MORE OF DEMONSTRATION / PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS READING "NO MORE AID FOR PAK" AND "USA STOP DOUBLE STANDARDS" / PROTESTERS, SHOUTING: "DEATH TO PAKISTAN" (5 SHOTS) MV PROTESTERS BURNING EFFIGY OF PAKISTAN PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF (3 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 6th July 2005 21:10
- Keywords:
- Location: GLARD VILLAGE, SAMBA AND URI, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA/ NEW DELHI, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAAHUZA7OB9M4RN43ITLICQ869K
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Indian and Pakistani troops have again traded heavy fire across the Kashmir border.
New Delhi has expelled Pakistan's envoy from New Delhi to put pressure on Islamabad to curb militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, long a flashpoint in Indian-Pakistan relations.
In a bid to arrive at a consensus on further steps India should take, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has met main opposition leader Sonia Gandhi for talks.
Nuclear-capable foes, India and Pakistan, locked in a five-month armed standoff, traded machine gun and mortar fire along the border for on Sunday (May 18, 2002).
As Indian and Pakistani soldiers pounded each other with heavy mortar fire on Sunday (May 19), a mass exodus of villagers living near the line of control that divides India and Pakistan is taking place.
Several shells landed in Indian border villages forcing the residents to shift to safer places with their belongings.
Several villages in Samba sector, about 40 kilometres from Jammu, the winter capital of the troubled northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, have been deserted.
Glard village, which lies close to the line of control, is almost deserted. Only a few people have decided to stay back.
Many houses have the tell-tale signs of mortars which were fired from the Pakistani side.
Though no villager has been killed in the firing, village man Ram Prakash said some people have suffered injuries.
"At six in the morning today, this shell from Pakistan fell here. In all 25 shells hit this village. Many animals have died. Some people have also been injured," claimed Prakash.
Those who have left their villages have been housed in a camp in Samba town.
Migrants said they feared the situation would escalate along the border between two nuclear arch-rivals.
"The situation on the border is getting worse with each passing day. People are dying. Our animals are getting killed," said Ganga Ram, an old man from Bangalad village.
Officials said at least 1,800 families have shifted to camps since the latest round of firing started.
Meanwhile in the Uri sector in Kashmir Valley, one person was killed and nine othere injured in border firing on Saturday.
Uri lies some 100 kilometres from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir state.
The injured were brought to Uri hospital on Monday.
Nissar Ahmed, now admitted to hospital, said he was injured when he was going to take class in Sultanrekhi village.
"I was injured after a shell landed near me. I don't know from where did it come," said Ahmed.
Baramulla district senior superintendent of police Showkat Malik said some of the criticially injured have been shifted to Srinagar.
"One person has been killed and nine others injured in shelling from across the border in Uri. Two personnel from Border Security Force (BSF) have also been injured," said Malik.
It was the third day in a row of intense fighting along the Line of Control, the ceasefire line dividing the two armies in disputed Kashmir. Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting.
The border fighting followed a raid last week in which 34 people died, including families of Indian soldiers, that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based Islamic militants. On Saturday, India expelled Pakistan's chief envoy in protest against the attack. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the raid.
On Saturday, India gave Pakistan's high commissioner (ambassador) a week to leave in protest against the raid.
The envoy, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, said "Our government has already responded by saying that this is the very unfortunate decision and this will not be a step in the direction of reducing tensions."
The expulsion is part of efforts to pressure Islamabad to curb militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. Pakistan denies giving armed support to the separatists.
India had already recalled its own ambassador from Islamabad following a bloody raid on the Indian parliament last December that it also blamed on Pakistan-based militants.
In a bid to arrive at a consensus on further steps India should take, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Sunday met main opposition leader Sonia Gandhi for talks.
Home (Interior) Minister Lal Krishna Advani and senior Congress party leader Manmohan Singh were also present at the meeting.
During a debate in Parliament on Friday (May 17), Indian opposition parties had offered full support to the government in New Delhi's fight against 'terrorism'.
Besides fearing the potentially devastating consequences of a war between two nuclear-capable nations, Washington also fears it would derail its drive to root out Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has condemned both the attack on parliament and on the army camp and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf pledged in January to crack down on Islamic militants.
India, however, says he has not done enough and has called on the United States to put pressure on Pakistan, its key ally in the Afghanistan campaign, to crack down harder.
On Sunday (May 19) a demonstration was held in New Delhi by members of the 'All India Anti-Terrorist Front' (AIATF) to put pressure on the U.S to reform its policy in the region.
The protesters carried placards reading, "USA: stop helping Pakistan". Demonstrators also shouted "Declare Pakistan a terrorist state".
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two over Kashmir. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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