J-K govt official, toddler among five killed in intense Pak shelling across Jammu

Residents of Jammu city and other major towns of the division woke up to air raid sirens and deafening sounds of explosions around 5 am, while the border residents spent a sleepless night in the wake of intense shelling from across the border

Jammu: Five persons, including a senior J-K government official and a two-year-old girl, were killed as intense mortar shelling and drone strikes by Pakistan hit Jammu early Saturday, officials said.

Residents of Jammu city and other major towns of the division woke up to air raid sirens and deafening sounds of explosions around 5 am, while the border residents spent a sleepless night in the wake of intense shelling from across the border.

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According to defence officials, Pakistan’s blatant escalation with drone strikes and other munitions continued along the western borders on Saturday.

“Pakistan’s blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilians is unacceptable. Indian Army will thwart all enemy designs,” they said.
Raj Kumar Thapa, Additional District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in Rajouri town, the officials said.

They were rushed to the Government Medical College where Thapa succumbed to his injuries, they said.

Condoling Thapa’s death,Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X, “Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J-K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district and attended the online meeting I chaired.

“Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they targeted Rajouri town killing our Additional District Development Commissioner Sh Raj Kumar Thappa. I’ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace.” Two more persons — two-year-old Aisha Noor and Mohd Shohib (35) — were killed and three others were injured in Pakistani shelling near an industrial area in Rajouri town, the officials said.

According to the officials, a 55-year-old woman named Rashida Bi lost her life when a mortar shell hit her house at Kanghra-Galhutta village in Mendhar sector of Poonch district.

In another incident, Ashok Kumar alias Shoki, a resident of Bidipur Jatta village, was killed in cross-border firing along the International Border in the R S Pura sector of Jammu district, they said. Three more persons were also injured in intense shelling in Poonch and were evacuated to a hospital, they said, adding that a local journalist was injured in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri.

Several persons were injured when artillery shells and suspected drones hit some residential areas in Jammu, including Rehari and Roop Nagar in Jammu city.

“On May 9, from about 2100 hrs, Pakistan opened fire on BSF posts in Jammu sector without any provocation. BSF is responding in commensurate manner causing widespread damage to posts and assets of Pakistan Rangers along the International Border. Our resolve to protect India’s sovereignty is unshaken,” BSF Jammu said in a post on X.

The fresh strikes followed after Pakistan launched a wave of drone attacks targeting 26 locations in India — from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat — for the second night on Friday.

The locations included Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota and Jammu in J-K, Ferozpur, Pathankot and Fazilka in Punjab, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan, and Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala in Gujarat.

Tensions between India and Pakistan soared significantly after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had cross-border linkages.