Nine killed in LoC shelling by Pakistan

The Pakistani army resorted to heavy artillery and mortar shelling, targeting forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, leaving nine people dead and 41 others injured, officials said.

The intense shelling from across the border started shortly after Indian armed forces carried out missile attacks on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the April 22 terror attack in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead.

The officials said the Indian Army is responding to the shelling in a befitting manner, resulting in many casualties on the enemy side after several of their posts engaged in firing were destroyed.

The worst-hit in the Pakistani shelling was Poonch district which accounted for all the civilian deaths, the officials said, adding 28 persons were also injured and the condition of some of them was stated to be critical.

The indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan created panic among the border residents who were forced to take refuge in underground bunkers or shift to safer places within or outside their villages, the officials said.

The shelling was reported from all along the LoC in Poonch, including Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote, Krishna Ghati, Gulpur, Kerni and even Poonch district headquarters, resulting in damage to dozens of residential houses, they said.

The officials identified the deceased as Balvinder Kour alias “Ruby” (33), Mohd Zain Khan (10), his elder sister Zoya Khan (12), Mohd Akram (40), Amrik Singh (55), Mohd Iqbal (45), Ranjeet Singh (48), Shakeela Bi (40) and Amarjeet Singh (47).

Ten persons, including five minor children were also injured in cross-border shelling in Uri sector of Baramulla district, while three others were injured in Rajouri district, the officials said, adding several houses also caught fire due to shelling in Karnah sector of Kupwara district.

Earlier, a defence spokesman said during the intervening night of May 6 and 7, the Pakistan Army resorted to arbitrary firing, including artillery shelling, from posts across the LoC and International Border opposite Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the Indian Army is responding in a “proportionate manner”.

Army sources said Indian troops caused many casualties to the enemy forces after destroying several of their posts in the retaliatory action.

The cross-border firing between the two sides was going on in some sectors, including Poonch, when last reports were received, the sources said.

Authorities have ordered that all educational institutions in the five border districts of the Jammu region will remain closed on Wednesday.

"In view of the prevailing situation, all schools, colleges, and educational institutions in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch will remain closed today," Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said on X.

This was the 13th consecutive night of unprovoked firing along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir, amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam attack.

"Pakistan again violates the Ceasefire Agreement by firing artillery in Bhimber Gali in the Poonch-Rajauri area. The Indian Army is responding appropriately in a calibrated manner," the additional directorate general of public information (ADGPI) of the Indian Army wrote on X.

The ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border (IB) have been very rare after India and Pakistan renewed the ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021.