A 10-year-old boy was killed and five others including two minors were injured on Monday in yet another incident of ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling besides also firing small and automatic weapons on various places along the LoC.
Sources have identified the deceased as Israr Ahmed of Kerni. The injured include Reshma Bi, 55, and her son Mohammad Rafiq, 31, from Kerni. The other three included Yasir Ahmed, 13, Mohammad Sadiq, 16, and another Mohammad Sadiq, 51, who were injured at bagialdara in Digwar.
Apart from firing at forward Indian positions along the LoC, the Pakistani troops were also targeting civilian areas in Degwar, Shahpur, Kerni and Qasba, sources said. The casualties occurred as some of the shells fell in Kerni village.
On September 27, Pakistani troops had resorted to mortar shelling on civilian areas in Balakote and Manjakote sectors of Poonch and Rajouri districts, respectively, injuring two civilians including a 50-year-old woman.
The Indian troops were retaliating. Sources said people were staying indoors in view of mortar shelling from across the LoC.
Sources called the frequent incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan as desperate attempts to push in armed terrorists into the state before the onset of winter when mountainous passes get closed due to snowfall. The BSF troops in Arnia sector had last Saturday detected an incomplete cross-border tunnel from the Pakistan side of the international border.
“During the past two months, there have been nearly 50 infiltration attempts from across the border and 44 of them were successfully foiled by alert troops”, said Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh. “A few terrorists who somehow managed to enter the state have been eliminated”, he added.
There have been continued incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistan on both the LoC and the international border during the past over two months. A BSF constable and a woman have been killed and over a dozen civilians injured in mortar shelling by Pakistani Rangers last month. The shelling has also caused damage to residential houses at many places, making a sizeable number of people shift to safer places, while cross LoC trade and travel between two sides through Chakkan Da Bagh on Poonch-Rawalakote road remains suspended.
In retaliatory fire by Indian troops and BSF, Pakistan, too, has reportedly suffered heavy losses.
