Several houses damaged as Pakistani troops shell three sectors along LoC in JK's Poonch

Several residential houses were partially damaged as Pakistani troops engaged in firing and intense mortar shelling in three sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.

The firing and shelling from across the border started around 9.15 am in Shahpur, Kirni and Degwar sectors and continued intermittently throughout the day, causing panic among the residents, the officials said.

A defence spokesman said the Indian Army personnel guarding the LoC gave a strong and befitting response to the cross-border firing.

He said Pakistan initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation in the three sectors at 9.15 am and later at 5.30 pm after a lull of a few hours during the day.

There was no report of any casualty on the Indian side, the spokesman said.

However, a police official said several residential houses suffered partial damages after being hit by mortars in Degwar sector.

"The shelling from across the border was heavy and lasted for three hours in the morning before starting again in the evening," the official said, adding it stopped in all the three sectors around 7.30 pm.