Pak suffers heavy casualties; 11 soldiers, 4 civilians dead
Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Nov 13: In one of the bloodiest days along the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir today, six civilians were killed and five soldiers martyred in Pakistani shelling while 11 Pakistani soldiers and four civilians were killed in retaliatory firing by Indian Army.
In Uri sector of LoC, four civilians including a 7-year-old boy and two Army soldiers were martyred as India and Pakistan armies traded heavy fire today. Five civilians were also injured in the heavy mortar shelling and firing.
Click here to watch videoThe shells fired by the Pakistani troops also landed in civilian areas, resulting in seven casualties among the inhabitants besides damage to at least a dozen houses.
The civilians killed in the shelling have been identified as Afrar Ahmad 7, son of Latief Ahmad of Gohallan Uri, Irshad Ahmad, 48, son of Karamat Hussain of Sarai Baday, Tahir Ahmad Mir, 36, son of Jaleel Ahmad Mir of Sultan Daki and Farooqa Begum, 36, wife of Bashir Ahmad of Balakote.
Two Army men were also martyred and they have been identified as GNR Sudoch Goush, 23, and Hawaldar Hardaran Chandra, 40, from 59 MED regiment and were posted Rustam Post. These soldiers were posted at Rustom post in Hajipeer sector which was one of the worst hit areas in today’s shelling.
One civilian Syed Nadir Hussain, 36, son of Peer Hussain of Kamalkot lost both of his legs in the shelling and was shifted to Srinagar for specialized treatment.
The other injured have been identified as Sajad Khan, 62, son of Mohammad Aslam Khan of Balkote Uri, Saif-ud-din Qureshi, 63, son of Fiqur Ullaha Qureshi of Kamalkote Uri, Hakim Bee, 50, wife of Abdul Hamid of Gohallan Uri and Sarfraz Ahmad, 18, son of Lateif Ahmad of Gohallan. They have been to SDH Uri. Army said that troops gave a befitting response to the ceasefire violation.
Nearly one dozen residential houses were damaged in Hajipeer and Kamalkote sectors of Uri due the shelling. There was no idea how much livestock perished in the shelling as it was dark and majority of them had taken shelter in underground bunkers given the intensity of the mortar shells being traded by the India and Pakistani armies.
Two soldiers were killed in the intense shelling in several villages and forward areas along the LoC in Gurez sector of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
An official said that Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing and heavy mortar shelling along the LoC in Tulail and Bagtore sectors in Gurez in which two soldiers were martyred on the spot while three other received injured following which they were evacuated to hospital.
The officials said that the martyred soldiers have been identified as Naik Satai Bhusha and sepoy Jon Dhale Rushikesh, both residents of Maharashtra. The injured have been identified as Naik Kale Navnath, Sepoy Khade Uddhav and Sepoy Kirte Yogesh, all residents of Maharashtra.
Local residents said that the low intensity shelling started at around 11:30 am and continued intermittently for some time. “After heavy shelling, several people from villages like Bagtore, Izmerg, and Tulail shifted to safer places. We are fed up here, our settlements are burning each passing day because of intense shelling. Today it was like hell. We haven’t seen such an aggressive exchange of firing between the two sides”, a local resident said.
In Gurez, many civilians sustained injuries. Those injured include Rehana Khursheed, 14, daughter of Khursheed Ahmad Ganie, Munaza Jamsheed, 12, daughter of Jamsheed Ahamad, Jabar Ahamad Ganie, 72, son of Laasi Ganie, Sada Bagem, 62, and Abdul Aziz, all residents of Bagtore, Gurez.
Army said that its four soldiers were martyred and as many others were injured in “unprovoked ceasefire violations” along the LoC spread across multiple sectors including Dawar, Keran, Uri and Naugam in north Kashmir.
A Border Security Force (BSF) official said that an officer of the border guards was martyred in ceasefire violation in Nowgam sector of Handwara today. He identified the martyred officer as Sub-Inspector Rakesh Dhobal
Srinagar based Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that “substantial damage” was caused to Pakistan army’s infrastructure besides casualities across the LoC in retaliatory action. “Several ammunition dumps, FOL dumps and multiple (militant) launch pads have been damaged, he said.
“Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC spread across multiple sectors including Dawar, Keran, Uri and Naugam”, he said.
“Pakistan used mortars & other weapons. Pakistan deliberately targeted civilian areas. Four Indian Army soldiers have been killed in action and three soldiers were injured. The nation salutes their supreme sacrifice,” he said.
An Army official said that 11 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory firing by Indian Army in response to ceasefire violations from across the LoC. The list of Pakistan army soldiers killed includes 2-3 Pakistan Army Special Service Group (SSG) Commandos. “10-12 Pakistan army soldiers were injured in the Indian Army firing in which a large number of Pakistan army bunkers, fuel dumps and launch pads have also been destroyed”, he added.
According to reports, four civilians were killed and two dozen injured in Indian Army firing.
Two Pak army Havaldars killed, 7 injured in Poonch
Two Havaldars of Pakistan army were killed and two others injured in retaliatory action by the Indian troops across Sabjian sector of Poonch district while seven persons including five civilians and two porters of the BSF were injured and several houses damaged in intense mortar shelling and firing from across the Line of Control (LoC).
Pakistan army targeted the civilians soon after Friday prayers at 2 pm in Sabjian sector. Two infants and a teenage girl were among the injured.
Official reports received here said two Havaldars of Pakistan army identified as Mohammad Bashir son of Shah Wali, a resident of Fatehpur and Mohammad Billal son of Dulla Khan of Kotli in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) were killed and two Sepoys Mohammad Asif and Salman Ali were injured when the Indian troops retaliated effectively to heavy mortar shelling from Pakistan side.
Two injured jawans of Pakistan army have been admitted in ADS Tasha in critical condition, reports said.
“The Indian retaliation was necessitated as Pakistan army was directly pounding civilian locations and forward defence posts in Sabjian sector,” sources said, adding that seven persons sustained injuries on the Indian side. They include five civilians and two porters, who were working with 183 battalion of the BSF.
Click here to watch video
SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral told the Excelsior that injured were evacuated from the site of shelling and firing and shifted to the District Hospital Poonch.
Condition of all of them is stated to be stable.
Nearly a dozen houses were damaged in shelling by the Pakistani troops, which continued for two hours from 2 pm. Several mortar shells fell in the populated villages causing panic among the locals some of whom were returning to their houses after Friday prayers while others were working in the fields. The villagers took shelter in bunkers and houses.
Pakistan hasn’t resorted to any major ceasefire violation in Sabjian sector of Poonch for past quite some time and, in view of this, the people were caught unaware.
“Pakistan army deliberately chose Sabjian sector to target civilians and inflict casualties among them as people there were not anticipating such a heavy shelling and firing in view of calmness on the LoC for past about six months except minor ceasefire violations,” sources said.
Two porters working for the BSF who were injured in Pakistan shelling have been identified as Mohammad Ibrahim, 48, son of Behreem Din and Afraz Ahmad, 35, son of Mohammad Zaman, both hailing from village Sabjian.
The civilians injured in the shelling include 5-year-old Mohammad Rashid and 7-year-old Touseef Ahmad, 15-year-old girl Kalsoom Akhter, Zareena Begum, 35, wife of Gulzar Ahmad and Hajeera Begum, 55, wife of Abdul Salam. Kalsoom hailed from village Gagrian while other injured civilians were residents of Sabjian.
Pakistan army, as per the reports, used long range mortar shells to target civilian areas in Sabjian sector and number of shells fell deep inside the villages causing injuries to civilians and damaging their houses.
“Shelling from Pakistan side stopped only after the Indian troops gave effective reply to Pakistan army inflicting casualties and damage on their side,” sources said.
It may be mentioned here that Pakistan army has quite regularly been resorting to ceasefire violations on the Line of Control in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. In retaliatory action by the Indian troops, the Pakistan army has suffered many fatalities and infrastructural damages.
There have been reports that under the cover of shelling and firing, Pakistan army was also trying to push trained militants into the Indian territory from the LoC. However, their all attempts have been successfully thwarted by the Indian troops.
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