Told them to retaliate with full force and teach Pak a lesson: BSF chief KK Sharma

BSF chief K K Sharma today asked field commanders along the Indo-Pak border to "retaliate with full force" any enemy fire, saying the Pakistani forces must be taught a lesson.

He also said the situation along the border with Pakistan is "tense".

"I have told them (field commanders along the international border) to retaliate with full force and teach them (Pakistani forces) a lesson. The morale of the troops is high," Sharma told a press conference at the BSF headquarters here.

He was replying to a question about his message to the commanders on the ground in the wake of killing of a jawan in firing by Pakistani forces today.

The chief of border guarding force said that the BSF has damaged two Pakistani mortar positions.

"We targeted two Pakistani mortar positions. We feel that they have been damaged," he said.

Asked about the situation along the border, the director general of the Border Security Force said, "I feel the situation is tense."

There have been continuous ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and now Pakistan has resorted to ceasefire violations along the international border (IB), he said.

Sharma said the BSF has observed movement of militants across the IB from time to time and sometimes it has engaged them but they managed to escape.

Replying to questions, he said, "We have already taken special measures. We have taken measures to check infiltration and ceasefire violations. We are ready to meet any such eventuality."

Asked about the reason for increase in incidents of ceasefire violation, he said, "It for Pakistan to answer as to why they are repeatedly resorting to ceasefire violation. We don't initiate it. We are a peace-loving force." On whether

it was being done by Pakistan to push in militants to engineer a terror attack in the run up to the Republic Day, Sharma said, "This can be such an attempt as they have engaged us (in that area) and our jawan lost his life.

"There is a nullah close to the area and an attempt of infiltration could have taken place from there but our troops are alert. We will ensure no infiltration takes place." Giving details about the today's incident, he said, "There was

unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side in which Head Constable A Suresh was killed. We immediately carried out retaliation."

The BSF chief said the force targeted Pakistan's border outposts (BoPs).

According to reports, there has been "large" loss of lives and damage to property, he said, adding, "I will not be able to give you details and you can get details from Pakistan media, if you monitor it."

He said that such incidents have not happened for the first time and on January 3, one jawan was killed.

At that time, the BSF gave a befitting reply and caused damage to lives and property on the Pakistani side, he said.

"The BSF does not initiate firing and shelling but when it is started from their side, we give a befitting reply. We are giving befitting reply following the killing of A Suresh," he said.
On increase in sniping incidents, he said, "This was not a sniping incident. He was firing from a light machine gun and he was hit by a bullet through a (bunker) loophole, which is used to direct the fire."

He said the jawans wear bullet-proof jackets and helmets but some parts of body still remains uncovered. "It is an occupational hazard when such a situation prevails," he said.