Violence on 'tense' Indo-Nepal border: SSB officer among six injured

Six people, including a company commander of the paramilitary force SSB, were injured on Friday in cross-border stone-pelting along the Indo- Nepal border here in Lakhimpur Kheri which remained "tense" for the second day.

Hundreds of Nepalese citizens gathered at the disputed land on the border today and pelted stones at the SSB personnel and villagers.

"Three SSB personnel, including company commander T K Hans, were injured in fresh stone-pelting," said Commandant Dilbag Singh of the paramilitary force which guards the Indo- Nepal border.

Hans sustained injury in the eye. "Three civilians of Basahi village were also injured and all were given medical treatment," the Commandant said.

This was the second consecutive day that stone-pelting took place in the area, where nine SSB jawans and few civilians were injured yesterday.

Nepalese citizens have been pelting stones after SSB jawans deployed at the location objected to permanent construction work on a disputed land near pillar No 200, officials say.

In New Delhi, Director General of SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) said, "The situation is tense today and a large number of Nepalese people have gathered on the spot again and resorted to shouting anti-India slogans and stone-pelting. Local officers and SSB officers are on the spot."

She said she was told by her force that there was no firing by SSB as has been alleged in some media reports, which claimed that one Nepali national had died in it.