12 killed as Pakistan army pounds villages along Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir

Intense shelling from across the border starts shortly after Indian armed forces carry out missile attacks on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge Pahalgam terror attacks

Jammu/Srinagar: At least 12 people, including four children, were killed and 57 others injured as the Pakistan army resorted to heavy artillery and mortar shelling on forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, 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 had left 26 civilians dead.

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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 42 people were also injured and the condition of some of them was stated to be serious.

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 houses and vehicles, 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), Amarjeet Singh (47), Maryam Khatoon (7), Vihaan Bhargav (13) and Mohd Rafi (40).

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. The shelling from across the border was intense till noon and later continued intermittently, mostly restricting to Poonch sector.

Locals faced a tough time in evacuating the victims to hospital in view of the heavy shelling which also hit Poonch bus stand, damaging several vehicles, the officials said.

Earlier, a defence spokesman said during the intervening night of May 6-7, 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.

Authorities have ordered that all educational institutions in the five border districts of 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 Poonch- Rajauri area. 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.