The Border Security Force claimed on Sunday that the Pakistan Rangers had “pleaded” with them to stop firing along the International Border after “heavy losses” due to firing in the last three days, according to media reports.

“The Pakistan Rangers called up Jammu BSF formation today and beseeched to stop firing,” an unidentified BSF spokesperson told PTI. The “befitting reply by BSF units to the unprovoked shelling and firing” by Pakistan had “forced them to plead for ceasefire”, another official said.

The phone call came two days after four civilians and a Border Security Force officer were killed in suspected firing by Pakistan along the border. About a dozen civilians were injured. The same day, Pakistan claimed that four of its civilians were killed and ten injured in shelling by Indian forces.

“For the last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pakistani firing locations inflicted heavy losses, and yesterday this firing found their mark with one of the rangers in chicken neck area,” the unidentified official told PTI. One Pakistani trooper was said to have been killed in the firing on Saturday.

The Border Security Force released a 19-second video clip purportedly showing the destruction of a Pakistani bunker in precision firing. The video is said to be from Saturday, according to ANI.

“The two sides agreed to maintain peace on the international border and hold periodic meetings to ensure that civilian life and property remained safe on both sides,” an unidentified officer told IANS, after the alleged phone call from Pakistan.

At least 38 people, including 18 security personnel, have been killed this year in more than 700 alleged incidents of shelling by Pakistan.

Meanwhile, an unidentified BSF officer told the Hindustan Times that no trans-border tunnel was found in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district. The BSF had launched a major operation along the International Border this week to uncover a tunnel through which it believed militants had entered Kathua district.

“We were working on probability,” the officer said. “Otherwise, tunnel checking is now part of BSF’s daily operational duty. The initial impression we got was that some infiltrators might have crossed. However, on verification, ground search and analysis up to now, we feel that those five people could have been villagers, locals or at most internal smugglers.”

However, the officer said the BSF had not ruled anything out yet.