Pakistani shelling in Jammu for second day

Indiscriminate shelling and firing by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district continued for the second day on Sunday, an official said.

"The Pakistan Army again resorted to indiscriminate shelling and gunfire in Mandi and Balakot sectors of Poonch district," Defence Ministry Spokesman Col. Manish Mehta told IANS here.

"The firing started at 3 a.m. and is still on. Our troops retaliated appropiately to the firing," he said.

Four civilians were killed on India's Independence Day on Saturday when their car was hit by a shell fired from the Pakistan side in Mendhar sector of the district.

Many civilians gathered at the site where the car was hit, when they were hit by a second shell fired from Pakistan, injuring more than 20 of them.

With the death of a 10-year old boy overnight, the toll rose to five on Sunday.

"Moin Khan died due to his injuries late Saturday. With this, the toll in shelling on civilians in Balakot sector of the Poonch district has risen to five," a senior police official told IANS.
Four injured were being treated at a hospital here. Two of them are said to be in a critical condition.

The Pakistan Army began shelling on Saturday morning on civilian areas in Mendhar, Saujiyan and Mandi sectors of the LoC in Poonch district.