Gurudwara, houses, shops damaged
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 7: Frustrated by attacks on terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and PoJK by the Indian Armed Forces late last night, Pakistan army resorted to heavy shelling leading to civilian casualties and damage to a prominent Gurudwara, houses, shops and other structures in Poonch town.
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At all places, Indian Army retaliated effectively.
Soon after the Indian Armed Forces blew up headquarters, training centres and camps of various terrorist outfits in Pakistan and PoJK, Pakistan army started heavy shelling at about 2 AM directly targeting Poonch town, Mendhar, Mankote and several other civilian areas in Poonch district which has vast Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan prompting effective retaliation from the Indian side.
People in Poonch town were caught unaware as they have never witnessed shelling in the past many years.
“Mortars started raining in Poonch town at 2 AM and continued till 11 AM today intermittently giving very less time to police to carry out evacuation operations,” the reports said, adding police teams and some youth started shifting shelling victims to the hospital in the midnight itself but it was extremely tough for them as shells continued to land inside the town.
Civilians suffered casualties in the shelling.
Gurudwara Singh Sabha and houses near its vicinity were damaged. Many other houses, shops and structures too suffered damage in mortar explosions.
The indiscriminate shelling, described by residents and officials as “barbaric and cowardly”, left dozens of residential houses damaged with their inhabitants running for cover after being woken up by the deafening sound of explosions.
The Pakistani response involved the use of heavy artillery and mortars, targeting dozens of forward villages and densely-populated civilian areas in Mankote, Mendhar and Thandi Kassi besides the Poonch city.
“Targeting unarmed civilians is not bravery. It is a cowardly act by Pakistan,” a civilian said.
The residents in Poonch city reported a sleepless and terrifying night with shells exploding in close quarters, echoing through the hills. Many residents shifted to the houses of their relatives and families.
“Pakistan is retaliating to India’s operation by targeting the civilian population. They missed the military targets and shelled us heavily overnight, killing our people and injuring many. The damage to our homes is massive,” said Sardar Navneet Singh from Mankote.
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