A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel was injured in the Akhnoor area of Jammu on Wednesday following unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops on Indian posts, marking a violation of the ceasefire agreement between the two countries. The incident occurred around 2:35 a.m. on September 11, 2024.
According to a BSF statement, “On September 11, 2024, at about 02:35 a.m., an incident of unprovoked firing occurred in the Akhnoor area from across the border, which was befittingly responded to by the BSF. One BSF personnel sustained injuries from the Pakistani firing. Troops are on high alert.”
The firing came despite a relatively calm period since India and Pakistan renewed their ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021. The last recorded loss of life on the Indian side was a BSF jawan killed by Pakistan Rangers in the Ramgarh sector last year, marking the first such fatality in over three years.
The timing of this ceasefire violation is particularly concerning as it precedes the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir’s assembly elections scheduled for September 18. The elections will be conducted in three phases, with the second phase on September 25 and the final phase on October 1.
In response to the increasing security challenges, including a recent surge in terror attacks in the Jammu region, the Union government has mobilized additional paramilitary forces. This follows reports of 60 to 80 terrorists infiltrating the region earlier this year. The security measures include retaining approximately 450 companies of paramilitary forces initially deployed for the Amarnath Yatra, with nearly 450 more companies added for election duty.
BSF Director General Daljit Singh conducted a security review of the Jammu border on August 22, underscoring the heightened alert and preparedness of security forces in the region.