A man inside his damaged house, at Mendhar in Poonch on Friday. PTIThree members of a family were killed and some others injured in shelling by Pakistan troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Salotri area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district late on Friday night. Those killed comprise a woman and two children. Their identity could not be ascertained immediately.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Colonel Devender Anand said many people are learnt to have been injured at Salotri as Pakistan troops are targeting civilian population along the LoC in Poonch, Mankote, Balakote and Nowshera areas. The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively, he said.
Sources said the shelling started in Mankote and Balakote areas of Mendhar and the adjoining Krishna Ghati around 6 pm. In Nowshera, it started around 4.15 pm, the sources said.
In north Kashmir’s Uri town, a civilian was injured and three houses damaged in shelling from across the border. Officials said a few families were evacuated from the affected villages.
Riyaz Malik, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Uri, told The Indian Express that more than 30 people were shifted from their villages to safer places. “Residents living in three villages were affected and we immediately started evacuation,” said Malik.
Read | J&K: 4 security personnel killed in Kupwara encounter; civilian dies in clashes
He said the shelling started around 12 am in three villages located near the LoC and continued intermittently till 10 am. “Since 10 am, the situation is peaceful,” he said.
Malik said the injured civilian was shifted to a hospital in Baramulla and is in a stable condition.
Meanwhile, Northern Army Commander Lt General Ranbir Singh on Friday visited forward posts in Akhnoor sector to review the present security situation. During his visit, the Army Commander was briefed by officers about the prevailing security scenario and the preparedness in dealing with it, said Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Colonel Devender Anand.
The commander, the spokesperson said, interacted with soldiers and complimented them for their high standard of professionalism.
The spokesperson added that he was appreciative of the measures and standard operating procedures instituted by the units
and formations to minimise the casualties due to ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts.
