BSF officer, girl killed in Pak firing along LOC

A BSF officer and a minor girl were killed while 14 others, including nine civilians and five security personnel, were injured when Pakistan troops resorted to ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

Reports said that Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling and heavy firing in Shahpur, Kerni, Mankote, Mendhar and Krishna Ghati sectors of Poonch, in which a six-year-old girl and an inspector of BSF were killed while nine civilians and five security personnel were injured.

“The girl died after being hit by a splinter fired by the Pakistan Army,” police said. The deceased was identified as Sobiya Sharif, a resident of Bandi Chichyan.

Six houses were also damaged in the intense shelling by Pakistani troopers, police said. Feavy firing exchanges were continuing on the LoC at many places in Poonch district.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said the Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling and firing of small arms from 7:45 am. The Indian troops retaliated effectively, he said.

Amid intense shelling, authorities ordered temporary closure of educational institutions in a five-km radius along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. Officials said the border residents have been asked to remain inside their homes and not venture outside. Also, all the educational institutions close to the LoC have been closed till further orders, they said.

In July 2017, more than 100 students had got trapped inside two schools in Nowshera sector of Poonch after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire. The children had to be later rescued in bullet proof bunkers by the security forces.

Border skirmishes witnessed a spurt after India's pre-emptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

The year 2018 witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations -- 2,936 -- by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Indian Army has been maintaining very high alert all along the LoC following inputs that under the cover of ceasefire violations, the Pakistani troops were trying to facilitate infiltration attempts by the militants.