Jammu: Two persons were killed and three others were injured in heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops on Saturday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. This is third ceasefire violation along India-Pakistan border in past three days.
“Pakistani Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars from 0715 hours along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector”, PRO, Ministry of Defence (MoD) Jammu— Lt Col Manish Mehta said.
The Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively, he said, adding that the firing is currently going on.
A BSF jawan suffered minor injuries on Friday when Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire along the International Border and fired few bullets, warning the Indian troops working ahead of fence with a tractor in Arnia area in Jammu district. BSF troops guarding the IB had also retaliated.
On 10th and 11th May, Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling and firing of automatic weapons on civilian areas near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, killing a woman and injuring two people including husband of the deceased lady. Two Pakistani soldiers were injured in retaliation by the Indian side.
In the wake of the Pakistani action in Naushera tehsil of Rajouri district, the schools in the area were closed down and an evacuation plan was activated under which over 1200 people from various border hamlets are being shifted to safer places.
After the Pakistani shelling, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Nowshera tehsil had issued an order, directing closure of all schools in the area as a precautionary measure. An evacuation plan has been put in place in view of the intermittent shelling and firing along LoC, the officer had said.
The shelling has affected five-six hamlets along the LoC including Sheri Makeri, Namakdali and Khamba since Wednesday night. As many as 27 families have been affected due to the shelling in which many houses, and a school, have been damaged partially or severely, he said. More than 40 farm animals are also reported killed in the firing, he added.
A woman, identified as Akhtar Bi, was killed in Pukharni village on Wednesday night. Her injured husband, 40-year-old Mohammad Haneef, has been given a compensation of Rs1 lakh. Another villager also received minor injuries.
On 11 May, Pakistan had summoned India’s deputy high commissioner in Islamabad to “condemn” the alleged ceasefire violation by India along the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that killed a man and injured three others.