BSF investigates blasts near Attari border

Attari (Punjab), July 5 : The Border Security Force (BSF) is investigating two blasts that occurred in a village along the fenced border between India and Pakistan Saturday night.

BSF officials said two shells landed on the Indian side of the border in paddy fields of Dande village near the Attari-Wagah land border joint check post, 30 km from Amritsar city.

“Villagers told our officials that two projectiles landed in the paddy fields last night,” a BSF official, who visited the spot, told IANS.

“The villagers heard a blast and when they went out, they saw a crater in one of the paddy fields,” Dande village headman (sarpanch) Mukhtiar Singh said.

There was panic among villagers and BSF officials were informed immediately.

“We saw two projectiles with sparks coming from Pakistan side and landing in the fields here,” village resident Hardev Singh said.

The BSF is likely to take up the incident with senior officials of the Pakistan Rangers.

The incident follows the killing of a Pakistani national by the BSF near Roranwala village near the joint check post Saturday evening as he tried to run from the Pakistani side into Indian territory.

“The man, who was running towards the Indian side, was asked to stop and warned but he did not pay heed and our troops opened fire,” a BSF official said.

The Pakistani side refused to admit that the killed man was from their country. His body was brought to a hospital in Amritsar.

Both incidents took place within hours of each other.

--IANS