Kasur, Oct 03 (V7N)- Two Pakistani nationals were killed and another was injured in firing by India's Border Security Force (BSF) near the Pakistan-India international border in Punjab, according to Pakistani state media.
The incident took place on Friday near the border in Kasur district, Radio Pakistan reported, citing security sources. The two deceased were identified as Azmat Rasool and Mohsin Jutt, both residents of Ladhar village.
According to the Pakistani sources, the three men were unarmed and had moved a few steps beyond a border pillar when BSF personnel opened fire on them without warning. The sources said none of the men had attempted to cross the border fence.
The third man was injured in the firing, according to the same sources. Pakistani reports described the incident as a violation of the agreement and standard operating procedures governing the international border.
Indian media, however, reported a different account, describing the incident as an attempted infiltration. Reports citing BSF sources said the men had entered Indian territory and were fired upon after allegedly ignoring warnings.
The conflicting accounts have not been independently resolved. The Associated Press also reported that Pakistani and Indian media gave different versions of where the men were located and what they were doing when the shooting occurred.
There was no immediate confirmed statement from the governments of either country directly addressing the circumstances of the firing, according to reports available on Saturday.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The latest border shooting has renewed attention to security along the international frontier and the differing accounts of cross-border incidents.
END/SMA/AJ
