A BSF head constable was killed in Pakistani firing along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district on Wednesday night, the first casualty in a ceasefire violation since the two countries renewed the agreement in 2021.

The BSF said head constable Lal Fam Kima, 50, a resident of Aizwal in Mizoram, was critically injured in unprovoked firing at the Ramgarh sector of Samba. He later succumbed to his injuries.

“Director General & all ranks of Border Security Force salute the supreme sacrifice of HC/GD Lal Fam Kima of 148 Bn who succumbed to injuries during unprovoked Cross Border Firing incident along the Jammu Border. Prahari Parivar stands by his family in this trying time,” the BSF posted on X.

Director-general of police Nitin Agarwal said they had given a befitting response to the Pakistani side and there were reports of heavy loss to the other side. He said this was yet to be confirmed.

“These (ceasefire violations) are going on for the last two weeks. We do not know the reasons. Talks are going on. When we know it (reasons), the future course of action will be decided accordingly,” he said. “We don’t initiate such things but when they happen, we give a befitting reply.”

There have been multiple ceasefire violations on the international border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in the past one month, raising fears of an escalation. Several jawans and civilians have been injured in the Pakistani shelling.

Two BSF men and some civilians were injured in Pakistani shelling on October 27.