War-like situation: shells fall close to Poonch town
Pak F-16s retreat as India scrambles fighter jets
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 1: In a virtual war like situation on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, a BSF Inspector and two civilians including an infant and a woman were martyred while 24 others injured, five of them security personnel, as Pakistan army pounded civilian locations and forward posts with long range mortar shells and artillery fire during the day with some of the shells landing close to Poonch town after a long time.
In retaliation by the Indian Army, two posts of Pakistan army at Dera Sher Khan opposite Mankote sector and another across Shahpur sector of Poonch district were destroyed in which 10 Pakistani troops were injured, some of them seriously.
Reports said Pakistan army activated Shahpur, Kirni, Qasba and all surrounding sectors near Poonch and Mendhar, Balakote, Mankote , Dabraj, Sagra and Balnoi along the LoC around 7.45 am simultaneously, targeting forward posts of Army and BSF and pounding civilian locations with long range mortar shells and artillery fire.
Within few minutes, majority of forward villages on the LoC became war-like zone with mortar shells and artillery fire raining in the villages and people, who had come out of their houses and were heading towards offices, schools and fields, taking shelter wherever possible to survive.
Authorities immediately ordered closure of all educational institutions within five kilometers radius from the LoC in Poonch district and asked people to confine themselves to safer areas including houses and bunkers. The schools will also remain closed tomorrow on the LoC in Poonch.
Indian Army retaliated very effectively and strongly, leading to heavy exchanges that continued almost throughout the day today.
A BSF Inspector, a five year old girl and a woman were martyred in Pakistan shelling while 24 others including four BSF jawans, an Army soldier and rest civilians were injured as mortar shells and artillery fire hit several villages at Bandi Chechian, Banpat, Digwar, Dhokri, Qasba and surrounding villages of Shahpur and Kirni sectors followed by Mankote, Balnoi and Mendhar.
“Such was intensity of shelling that couple of mortar shells fell at Digwar, which was located hardly a kilometer from Ward No. 1 of Poonch town,’’ sources said, adding Pakistan army had used 1200 mm mortar shells, which have range of four to five kilometers and artillery fire, spreading panic among the people.
This was after a long time that mortar shells fell close to Poonch town, the people recalled. However, business as usual continued in Poonch town with precautionary measures.
Army, BSF, police and local people rushed to the villages, where security personnel and civilians had been hit by mortar shells and artillery fires.
SSP Poonch Romesh Angral told the Excelsior that 14 civilians were brought to District Hospital, Poonch and four of them were airlifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for specialized treatment while two injured were sent to Jammu by road. Late tonight, five injured were shifted to Sub District Hospital in Mendhar from Balnoi and all of them were referred to District Hospital Rajouri.
Rest of the injured were undergoing treatment at the District Hospital, Angral said.
He added that situation was tense in the villages in view of Pakistan shelling but people stayed put in their houses and no migration had been reported till tonight. The shelling stopped around 4 pm at Shahpur, Kirni and surroundings but it intensified at Mankote and Balnoi, where it continued till late tonight.
Five year old Sobia Koser daughter of Mohammad Shafiq, a resident of Bandi Chechian, BSF Inspector T Alex Lalminlun and 33-year old woman Sajyat Bi wife of Mohammad Yakoob R/o Balnoi were martyred in Pakistan shelling and firing. The BSF Inspector attained martyrdom at Mankote sector.
Late this evening, six civilians in two houses were injured in Pakistan shelling at Balnoi. As shelling continued, it took security forces quite some time to evacuate them from their houses.
While Sajyat Bi was killed, five other civilians were later brought out of their houses and taken to Sub District Hospital in Mendhar from where they were referred to District Hospital Rajouri.
They have been identified as Chana Bi, 80, wife of Kala, Tasveer Akhter, 22, wife of Mohammad Shakeel, Yasmeen Akhter daughter of Abdul Aziz and Irfan Ahmed, 12, son of Mohammad Yaqoob, all residents of Balnoi and Mankote.
Over two dozen cattle were reported to have perished in Pakistan shelling at Mankote and Balnoi.
According to reports, more than 30 houses, cattle shed and other structures have been damaged during Pakistan shelling today. However, exact losses would be known once the normalcy is restored.
There were reports that two Pakistani posts were destroyed at Dera Sher Khan area, opposite Mankote sector and another post across Shahpur sector of Poonch in which at least 10 Pakistan army troops were injured, some of them seriously. Reports said that there were more losses on Pakistan side in the Indian retaliation, the details of which haven’t been received so far.
People in Poonch held protest against civil administration in Poonch for delay in requisition of helicopter to airlift the injured. Later, four injured civilians were airlifted to Jammu and two others were sent by road in view of their serious condition.
Even as shelling stopped around 4 pm at Shahpur, Kirni and surroundings, people didn’t venture out of their houses and remained confined in houses and bunkers anticipating more firing from Pakistan side.
“We are terrified. We haven’t seen such an intense shelling in past several years. The mortar shells were raining in the villages. We thought war has started,’’ a number of villagers from Shahpur told the Excelsior on telephone.
Such was the terror among the villagers that people were even unable to cook food and remained sheltered in corners of their houses or bunkers.
Army has been maintaining high alert along the LoC apprehending that Pakistan army might try to push militants into Indian territory under the cover of shelling and firing.
Four BSF jawans injured in Pakistan shelling have been identified as Head Constable Raj Pal Panwar, Ajay Tiwari, Vijander Sharma and Santosh Kumar, all constables. An Army jawan Badhar Singh was injured in the shelling at Dabraj.
Six civilians, who were airlifted or sent to Jammu by road included Mohammad Jahangir, 32, son of Ghulam Din and Naseem Akhter, 40, wife of Mohammad Shafiq, both residents of Bandi Chechian, Din Mohammad, 32, son of Mohammad Shaffi of Banpat, Sachin Sharma, 22, son of Puran Chand of Degwar, Jamal Din son of Nek Mohammad of Dhokri and Mohammad Safeer, 15, son of Mohammad Shaffi of Bandi Chechian.
Injured admitted in the District Hospital Poonch were identified as Mohammad Sharief, 32, son of Abdullah R/o Gountrian, Nagina Bi, 45, daughter of Mohammad Bashir of Sangla, Surankote, Tajamul Hussain, 40, son of Mohammad Hussain of Bandi Chechian, Jamal Din, 60, son of Naik Mohammad of Dhokri, Shoket Hussain, 28, son of Jalal Din R/o Qasba, Mohammad Safeer, 14, son of Mohammad Sadiq of Bandi Chechian, Munir Hussain, 60, son of Mohammad Din and Mohammad Rashid, 40, son of Munir Hussain, both residents of Banpat, Hanifa Bi wife of Abdul Karim of Kirni and Kabir Hussain son of Noor Hussain R/o Banpat.
Meanwhile, Indian radars detected large sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and package of four Pakistani F-16s flying close to Indian border in Khemkaran sector of Punjab at 3 am today.
India immediately scrambled Su-30MKIs and Mirage jets in response after which the Pakistani jets retreated further into their territory, sources said.
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