A Border Security Force jawan and a 13-year-old girl were killed during a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the international border in Jammu’s RS Pura Sector, the Army said on Thursday. Border outposts and civilian areas were targeted since 9 pm on Wednesday night, an official said.

The jawan has been identified as head constable A Suresh. “The district administration has asked all its officers to remain in the state of highest preparedness in view of continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan,” PTI quoted Additional Deputy Commissioner of Jammu Arun Manhas as saying.

Border Security Force Director General KK Sharma confirmed that the troops had retaliated to the firing initiated by Pakistan. “The place where they engaged us has a stream nearby,” Sharma said. “There could have been a possibility of infiltration but our troops made sure that no such incident takes place.”

The girl was identified as Sabity, who was in cross-border firing in the Pindi Charkan village of Arnia, an official told the Greater Kashmir.

On the Pakistan side, two women were killed and five people were injured in Sialkot’s Chaprar sector between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Dawn quoted the Inter-Services Public Relations as saying.

The ISPR statement said Indian forces continued “unprovoked” ceasefire violations and “targeted civilian population”. “The Pakistan Rangers Punjab effectively responded to neutralise Indian Border Security Forces posts,” the statement said.

On Monday, the Indian Army said it had killed seven Pakistani soldiers and injured four in retaliatory strikes in forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. Pakistan, however, pegged the toll at four.

An Indian soldier was killed during a reported ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in the Sunderbani sector on January 13. A head constable of the Border Security Force was killed under similar circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajpura area on January 3.