New Delhi: Pakistani forces on Wednesday launched a barrage of heavy artillery and mortar shells targeting villages along the volatile Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. This resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people, while 57 others were injured, latest reports said.
Notable among those killed was Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar of 5 Field Regiment. “We also stand in solidarity with all victims of the targeted attacks on innocent civilians in Poonch Sector,” said Indian Army’s White Knight Corps.
The attack, one of the bloodiest in recent memory, followed Indian Army missile strikes on nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This was part of the mission “Operation Sindoor”.
The shelling by Pakistan wrought havoc, damaging homes, vehicles and even a gurdwara and forcing hundreds of terrified residents to scurry underground or flee to safer places. The hardest-hit areas include the regions of Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla and Kupwara, where fear gripped the border communities with an icy fist. Indian forces responded vigorously, destroying several Pakistani posts and causing casualties, according to reports from the frontlines.
Poonch district reported the highest death toll, with at least 13 killed alongside 42 getting injured, two of whom are critical. The villages of Balakot, Mendhar, Mankot, Krishna Ghati, Gulpur, and even the district headquarters of Poonch echoed shelling sounds. Dozens of homes and vehicles lie in ruins, with Poonch’s main bus station also damaged. A mortar shell struck a gurdwara in Poonch town, snuffing out the lives of three persons, identified as Amrik Singh, Amarjeet Singh and Ranjit Singh.
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