Jammu, Mar 18: Five members of a family were killed and two others critically injured as the armies of India and Pakistan traded heavy fire and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.
The shelling of civilian areas almost three-four kilometres from the Line of Control (LoC) by the Pakistani troops lasted nearly four hours Sunday morning, they said.
Two sisters were critically injured in the shelling and were airlifted to Jammu for treatment.
The civilian casualties occurred in forward village of Devta Sargloon when a shell hit the mud house of Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan (35), a police official said.
The deceased were Ramzan, his wife Malika bi (32), their sons Abdul Rehman (14), Mohammad Rizwan (12) and Razaq Ramzan (seven).
Ramzan’s two daughters — Nasreen Kouser (11) and Mahreen Kouser (five) – were critically injured in the incident and were airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment, the police official said.
Army PRO Lt. Col. Devender Anand said the mortar shelling from across the LoC was “unprovoked and indiscriminate” and lasted from 0745 hours to 1130 hours. Indian troops guarding the border retaliated strongly and effectively, he added.
Director General of Police S P Vaid in a tweet said, “Due to shelling from across (LoC) in Balakote sector of Poonch, 5 civilians of a family died & 2 are injured who are being shifted to hospital.”
“Anguished to hear of 5 (five) people losing their lives in the crossfire along the LoC in the Balakote sector of Poonch. My deepest condolences to their family,” chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet.
“Peace is the only way forward. Initiatives were started by (former Prime Minister A B) Vajpayee Ji with his Lahore bus journey & were later carried on in the same spirit by PM @narendramodi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). Sadly they were sabotaged at Pathankot. We need to get on the right track if we want to save the people of J&K,” she said in another tweet, referring to the scene of the 2016 attack on an Air Force Station in Punjab.
The Army PRO said Sunday’s shelling was a serious issue of concern as civilian localities much deep inside Indian territory, almost three-four kilometers from the LoC, were targeted “despite the fact that there was no Army deployment or any installation or even no equipment installed”.
Lt. Col. Anand said Pakistani troops used small arms, 81 mm and 120mm mortar shells.
Inspector General of Police, Jammu, S D S Jamwal said the civil administration was “alive to the situation” and appropriate precautionary actions would be taken to ensure safety of civilians.
“The firing has stopped and the local administration has reached the area. We have rushed bullet proof vehicles to the affected villages,” he told reporters.
In Pakistan Administered Kashmir, at least nine people, including two minor girls, were injured in heavy shelling by Indian troops in Nakyal sector on Sunday, media reports said.
“Indian troops started heavy mortar shelling at about 7am in the morning, targeting civilian populations in almost all villages along the Line of Control (LoC),” The Dawn reported.
“A shell exploded on the roof of the house of one Haji Aslam in Palani village, critically injuring three of his daughters, he said. The victims were identified as Musarrat, 22, Nargis, 25, and Samra, 15. Elsewhere, in the same sector, 11-year-old Aleeba Majeed and 35-year-old Muhammad Zahoor Mughal were injured in Jair Merg and Dharoti Naari villages respectively, Anwar said,” the report said.
It added that at least three people were reported injured in Balakot. They were identified as 18-year-old Abdul Aziz, Abdul Ghani, 52, and his spouse Farzand Begum, 42.
“Separately, a 50-year-old woman, Shamim Akhtar, was injured in Naar Dabsi village,” it reported.
CM expresses deep shock
Srinagar, Mar 18: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has expressed deep shock and grief over the death of five members of a family in a cross LoC shelling incident in the Balakote sector of Poonch district early Sunday today.
The Chief Minister described the incident as heart wrenching which has caused a wave of shock among the people of the State. She has prayed for peace to the departed souls and wished speedy recovery of the other two injured members of the family.
Mehbooba Mufti reiterated that dialogue and reconciliation are the only means to get the State and the region out of this vicious cycle of blood spilling for which she appealed all sections of society and Governments to support.
Ceasefire confined to papers: Omar
Srinagar, Mar 18: Grieving the demise of five Indian civilians in heavy shelling by Pakistani forces, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the ceasefire terms between the two countries has remained confined just to papers.
“The best gift India and Pakistan gave to border areas, areas near LoC, is ceasefire but off late it has remained confined to paper,” National Conference working president Abdullah said.
He added, “I hope both the governments talk it out and follow the ceasefire as innocent people are losing their lives. I wish peace is maintained on the LoC.”
Five members of a family were killed and two were injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan near the Line of Control (LoC) in in Balakote sector Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
This comes a week after the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing in Rajouri’s Sundervani sector along LoC in the state.
