Uneasy calm prevails in shelling-hit Arnia

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 19

Uneasy calm prevailed in the Arnia tehsil of Jammu district on the international border (IB) as there was no incident of firing or shelling from across the border.

However, security personnel were on high alert in the area as the area had witnessed heavy shelling from the Pakistan side for the last few days.

Two persons, including a BSF constable, have died and six others have been injured in shelling since September 13, when Pakistan violated the 2003 ceasefire.

Due to the shelling, the district administration of Jammu had ordered the closure of 47 schools in Arnia tehsil that are in the 5-km radius. Today also, these schools remained closed.

“The administration will look at the ground situation before allowing schools to reopen in the zone where shelling had made life of people difficult. During the shelling, schools were also targeted and we don’t want to risk the lives of students as well as staff members,” said an official of the district administration.

Meanwhile, he claimed that there was a lull in firing and shelling from the Pakistan side and the night passed off peacefully.

People heaved a sigh of relief and went back to their villages to perform their daily chores.