Srinagar: Two civilians, including a woman, were killed on Tuesday and seven others injured, a few of them seriously, when Pakistani troops pounded with mortars and small arms forward Indian military posts and civilian areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.
They identified the slain as 35-year-old Gulnaz Akhter and 16-year-old boy Sho’ab Ahmed. Doctors said that the woman was brought dead to the district hospital in Poonch, whereas the critically injured boy died soon after being admitted there.
Poonch’s deputy commissioner Rahul Yadav confirmed the death of the two civilians and injuries to at least seven others in Pakistani shelling and firing in Bandi and Chechian villages of Poonch. The seriously injured persons are being shifted to Jammu for specialised treatment. A report from Poonch put the number of injured in Pakistani shelling and firing at nine.
“The Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing of small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Shahpur and Kirni sectors. The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly,” a brief statement issued by the Army’s Northern Comm-and at Udhampur said.
Earlier on Sunday, Pakistani authorities clai-med that two officers of their Army were injured in Indian troops’ “unprovoked” firing in Rakhchikri area of Rawalakot sector on their side of the LoC (opposite Poonch). Major General Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson of Pakistan armed forces, had in a tweet said, “Indian Army’s unprovoked firing in Rakhchikri, Rawalakot sector, along LoC. Mortar rounds were fired on the Pakistani post. Indian fire effectively responded. During exchange of fire, two officers of Pakistan Army got injured.”
