Nine Sashastra Seema Bal jawans injured in clash at Indo-Nepal border

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): Nine SSB jawans and few civilians were today injured in a cross-border stone pelting incident along the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh and authorities said the situation was still "tense".

Paramilitary and local police personnel fired a teargas shell to disperse the mob which had gathered around the no man's land in Basahi village in Sampurnanagar area here following a dispute over some construction work.

"Nepalese citizens pelted stones after SSB jawans deployed at the location objected to permanent construction work on a disputed land near pillar No 200," SSB Commandant Dilbag Singh said.

He added that the injuries were not serious.

Meanwhile, senior Sashastra Seema Bal officials at the forces' headquarters in Delhi said the issue pertains to a joint survey being undertaken by the two sides to erect the "missing" pillar no 200 at the IB here.

They denied media reports that there was firing by the force personnel.

"A meeting was held last month to conduct the joint survey. When some activity related to permanent construction was spotted by the SSB and objected to, stones were pelted and protests were held," they said.

They added "nine SSB jawans have been injured" in the incident. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu also issued a statement in this regard.

"It is categorically denied that there was any incident of firing by SSB near the border at Aananda Bazar, Kanchanpur. There is a need to maintain calm and let the survey officials of both sides discuss the location of border pillars before any construction work is undertaken.

"District officials have been directed to cooperate to defuse the situation," the Embassy tweeted.

District Magistrate Akashdeep and police officials rushed to the spot to take up the matter with the Nepalese authorities.

The dispute first arose on February 18 when some Nepalese citizens started constructing a culvert in the area near the missing pillar no 200.
Pallia SDM Shadab Aslam had then visited the spot and discussed the matter with Nepalese authorities.

It was agreed then that no permanent construction would be carried out till the survey officers of both the countries decided the boundary.

However, construction work was started yesterday by the other side and when it came to their notice, SSB jawans objected to it following which the group of Nepalese citizens indulged in stone pelting injuring the jawans.

SSB, which works under the command of the Union Home Ministry, is tasked to guard the 1,751 km long Indo-Nepal border.

Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3 km long open border with Nepal touching seven districts- Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj.