Pakistan terror group behind attack on Indian village? (Lead)

The possibility of Pakistan-based terror groups being behind a 'rocket' attack Saturday night near an Indian village is not being ruled out by Indian security officials.

The Border Security Force (BSF), India’s para-military force that guards the 553-km fenced border between India and Pakistan in Punjab, is Sunday investigating two blasts that occurred near Dande village Saturday night.

BSF officials said one shell landed on the Indian side of the border in paddy fields of Dande village near the Attari-Wagah land border joint check post, 30 km from Amritsar city.

The other shell fell inside Pakistani territory, BSF officials investigating the blast said.

“Our (BSF) officers met Pakistan Rangers last night and have lodged our strong protest,” BSF’s Punjab Frontier Inspector General (IG) Himmat Singh said.

"Villagers told our officials that two projectiles landed in the paddy fields last night," a BSF official, who visited the spot, told IANS.

"The villagers heard a blast and when they went out, they saw a crater in one of the paddy fields," Dande village headman (sarpanch) Mukhtiar Singh said.

There was panic among villagers and BSF officials were informed immediately. The crater was nearly 10-feet wide.

One villager, Dilbagh Singh, said he was injured due to splinters from the shell.

"We saw two projectiles with sparks coming from Pakistan side and landing in the fields here," village resident Hardev Singh said.

The ‘rocket’ attack incident follows the killing of a Pakistani national by the BSF near Roranwala village near the joint check post Saturday evening as he tried to run from the Pakistani side into Indian territory.

"The man, who was running towards the Indian side, was asked to stop and warned but he did not pay heed and our troops opened fire," a BSF official said.

The Pakistani side refused to admit that the killed man was from their country. His body was brought to a hospital in Amritsar.

Both incidents took place within hours of each other.

Taliban-linked terrorists had laid siege to the Manawan police training centre near Lahore city in Pakistan March-end this year. The training centre is barely 12 km from the Attari-Wagah joint check post.

Over 20 police recruits were killed and 150 others injured in the attack.

Earlier March, terrorists in Pakistan had attacked the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in the heart of Lahore city, 20 km from here.

Last updated on Jul 5^th, 2009 at 15:00 pm IST--IANS