No let-up in shelling, firing for 2nd day

A mortar shell explodes in civilian area at Khari Karmara near Poonch on Friday. -Excelsior/Harbhajan
A mortar shell explodes in civilian area at Khari Karmara near Poonch on Friday. -Excelsior/Harbhajan

Schools shut in forward areas

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 13: Pakistan army for the second consecutive day fired small arms and shelled forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Khari Karmara and surrounding villages of Poonch sector while the district administration of Poonch today ordered closure of educational institutions falling within Pakistan’s shelling and firing range.
Sources said Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in Khari Karmara and surrounding villages in Poonch sector prompting effective retaliation from the Indian troops.
Shelling and firing continued for one and a half hours. Pakistani guns stopped shelling and firing on forward posts of Army and civilian areas of Poonch after effective retaliation from the Indian side.
“Part of Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch sector was also hit by shelling and firing in the morning,” sources said.
They, however, added that there were no casualties or damages on the Indian side in fresh round of mortar shelling and firing by the Pakistani troops. There were reports that Pakistan has suffered some losses in retaliation by the Indian army. However, details of exact losses couldn’t be ascertained immediately.
Schools were today closed down by authorities along a section of the LoC in Poonch district due to firing and shelling by Pakistani troops.
“The schools along the LoC in Digwar and Khadi Karmara were closed in view of the firing and shelling by Pakistan today,” sources said.
However, they said schools in other areas in the hinterland were open.
The schools were closed only for today in view of the shelling, they said, adding the situation along the border line was under control as firing and shelling stopped in the morning.
Even the civil population living close to LoC didn’t venture out of their houses almost throughout the day today in view of shelling and firing for second consecutive day.
“Majority of people remained confined to their houses in Khari Karmara, Digwar, Shahpur and surrounding villages of Poonch sector and didn’t venture out to the fields fearing that Pakistan could resorted to mortar shelling and firing any time,” sources said.
Yesterday, an Army jawan and a defence porter were martyred while six others including five Army soldiers and a defence porter were injured in Pakistan firing in Khari Karmara area of Poonch sector.
Sepoy T K Reddy (21) from Obulapuram village in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district and defence porter Mohammad Zahir (22) from Kalali village in Rajouri district were martyred in yesterday’s firing.
On October 6, Pakistani troops had opened fire at Baba Khori and other areas in Rajouri district, and on October 4, three Army jawans were injured in unprovoked and  indiscriminate firing in Poonch sector.
An Army jawan was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC in Poonch on October 3 and on October 2, two minors had died and 12 civilians were injured in cross-border shelling.
The year 2017 has seen a sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
Pakistani troops have opened fire on Indian territories more than 600 times till September 30.

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