*Pak too claims 2 casualties
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 8: An Army jawan and his wife were killed while their two daughters were among three young girls injured in heavy mortar shelling and firing by the Pakistan army along Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector this morning. Pakistani troops again directly targeted civilian areas to inflict casualties of innocent persons, leading to panic among the population living in forward areas.
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Pakistan claimed that its two civilians were killed and three others injured in Chirikot and Satwal sectors opposite Poonch district in retaliatory firing by the Indian Army.
Meanwhile, India has conveyed serious concerns to Pakistan over attacks on civilian areas, increased movement of terrorists and infiltration attempts across the LoC.
India’s Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh conveyed this to Pakistan’s Director General South Asia after being summoned, that Pakistan has violated ceasefire 223 times while terrorists made 50 infiltration attempts from Pakistan side on the LoC this year alone, an official message posted on twitter said.
It said India lodged very strong protest with Pakistan over the death of two civilians in today’s ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops on the LoC in Poonch sector.
“It has been conveyed to Pakistan’s DG South Asia that the ceasefire violations were initiated by Pakistani troops in Poonch and Krishna Ghati sectors and the Indian Army only responded appropriately,” the twitter message said.
Pakistan claimed that their two civilians were killed and three others including two girls were injured in retaliatory firing by the Indian side at Chirikot and Jatwal sectors opposite Poonch.
Reports said Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling and firing targeting forward defence posts and civilian areas at Khari, Karmara, Digwar and Chakan-Da-Bagh along LoC in Poonch district at 6.35 am when majority of the people were asleep. Sudden mortar shelling and firing by Pakistan army took the civilians by surprise and they tried to take shelter inside the houses and bunkers.
An Army jawan, who had come to his house on leave, was killed along with his wife while his two daughters were injured after an 82mm mortar shell exploded on roof of his house, which was extensively damaged.
Several houses in the shelling hit areas suffered damage as mortars of 82mm and 120mm fired by Pakistan army fell in the residential areas, confining the people inside houses and bunkers till 1 pm when shelling and firing with automatic and semi-automatic weapons came to a halt.
Security personnel evacuated the dead and injured from village Karmara and shifted them to hospital where Territorial Army jawan Naik Shoket Ahmad son of Mohammad Sharief, originally a resident of village Chuggan, Mendhar and his wife Sabia Bi were declared as dead while their two daughters and another young girl were admitted for treatment.
Reports said that Shoket Ahmad was posted in the Territorial Army at Palma in Rajouri district and had come to his house on leave. Presently, he was putting up at his house at Karmara.
Injured girls have been identified as Rubina Kousar, 12 and Zahida Kousar, 6, both daughters of Shoket Ahmad and Nazia Bi daughter of Mohammad Mushtaq, all residents of Karmara.
Sources said forward village of Karmara bore the brunt of today’s mortar shelling as Pakistan army pounding entire village with heavy mortars during first three hours of shelling. Later, it was medium and small arms firing which continued till late this afternoon.
Body of Army jawan was shifted to his ancestral residence at village Chuggan in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district this evening where it was buried with full military honours in the presence of senior Army officers. The Army officers and jawans paid tributes to the martyr before he was laid to rest along with his wife. A large number of local people also joined the burial.
Indian troops retaliated Pakistan shelling and firing with full force at all the places inflicting heavy damages on the enemy troops especially their bunkers and posts. Sources said the strong retaliation from India was necessitated to silence the Pakistani guns, which were pounding Indian civilian areas, leading to casualties and damage.
At all four places including Chakan-Da-Bagh, Karmara, Khari and Digwar, mortar shells fell inside or close to the houses, causing damage and in many cases the house inmates had very narrow escape.
Sources said apart from schools, some mortar shells also fell close to the school buildings, causing minor damage to them.
Since May 1 when two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistani troops and their Border Action Team (BAT), the ceasefire violations have been taking place regularly along LoC in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. Pakistani troops have been directly targeting the civilian population in Nowshera, Manjakote, Balakote, Poonch, Sabjian and surrounding sectors in the two districts, which has caused enormous panic among the people putting up in forward areas besides badly affecting their day-to-day work in the fields as the people feared that Pakistan could resort to the shelling and firing anytime.
India’s retaliatory actions have led to heavy damages on Pakistan side including destruction of their bunkers and posts and killing of their troops in the forward areas.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner, Tariq Ahmed Zargar along with SSP, Rajiv Kumar Panday, SDM Mendhar and other officers from police and civil administration today visited village Chuggan to express solidarity with the family of the Army jawan and his wife who were killed in cross border firing
The DC announced on spot assistance of Rs 10,000 in favour of the next of kin of victims from Red Cross.
The DC instructed Revenue authorities to process the case for further relief in favour of deceased.
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