A day after Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets with their BSF counterparts on Independence Day, firing from across the border claimed the life of a BSF personnel at Abdullian in R S Pura sector Thursday night.

The firing continued on Friday morning, spreading fear among the villagers, most of whom could not go to the fields. They gathered at "safe" places, anxiously waiting for the situation to ease. Though firing from the Pakistani side stopped in the afternoon, the villagers did to venture out in the open following apprehensions of being shot at by sniper firing from across the border.

The BSF man who was killed, Chander Rai, from Assam, was hit by a sniper shot from across the border around 7.30 pm. Official sources said the Pakistan Rangers also fired rockets at the Indian side.

The unprovoked firing continued till midnight and, after a brief lull, regained around 7 am on Friday.

In Delhi, BSF DG U K Bansal said he was not going to discuss the matter with Pakistan Rangers directly and the issue would have to be dealt with at the local commander level.

BSF officials said mortar and another ammunition used for shelling, which killed Rai, was mostly used by Pakistan's Army and the Rangers, who guard border areas, are not in possession of such advanced weapons.

The DG said without compromising the security mandate, he directed his men to show restraint. According to BSF, 13 cases of violations along the border have already been reported this year.

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