Mortar shells land in villages
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 12: Three civilians including two young girls were injured as Pakistan violated ceasefire once again this morning after a lull of few days, targeting civilian locations on the Line of Control (LoC) in Sabjian sector of Poonch district, leading to strong retaliation from India.
Official sources said Pakistan started mortar shelling and firing on civilian locations in Sabjian sector of Poonch district at 8.30 am when the people had started moving out of their houses for day’s work. Several shells fell either inside or very close to civilian houses at village Chapprian in Sabjian sector.
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The Indian side retaliated Pakistan army’s shelling and firing strongly, leading to heavy exchanges which continued for couple of hours.
Two girls were hit by mortar shells close to their houses and sustained splinter injuries. They have been identified as Tasbeer Akhter, 18, daughter of Abdul Rashid and Shabina Akhter, 19, daughter of Mumtaz Khan, residents of Chapprian. Another civilian sustained minor injuries.
The girls were evacuated from the site of shelling and firing and admitted in the District Hospital Poonch. Their condition was, however, stated to be stable.
People remained confined to their houses as mortar shells directly landed in civilian areas of Sabjian sector. Shelling, however, completely stopped around 11 am.
There was no ceasefire violation by Pakistan army on the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri yesterday during polling for Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary constituency. The voting had passed off peacefully at all the polling stations in the border districts.
However, a day after the voting, Pakistan army resumed shelling and firing on the LoC, leading to fresh tension among the villagers.
A house of one Gani Mir suffered damages in Chapprian-Sabjian forward belt after being hit by a mortar shell but the people inside the house had narrow escape as they rushed out immediately and survived, sources said, adding that the people remained confined to their houses and bunkers.
As Pakistani army often targets civilian areas, people of the Chapprian-Sabjian area are demanding construction of bunkers for their safety.
“We are living along the zero line near the border fencing but have no protective enclosures like bunkers,” said Abdul Rashid of Chapprian village.
Two persons were injured when Pakistani troops resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC in the forward area in Digwar sector of Poonch last Friday.
There has been spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistan army on the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri since February 26 after air strikes by India on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp at Balakote deep inside Pakistan in which number of militants were killed.
India has been retaliating Pakistani ceasefire violations very effectively, leading to heavy casualties and damages of Pakistan army.
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