12-day-old baby killed along LoC in Pakistani firing

A 12-day-old baby, who was injured in heavy mortar shelling and firing by Pakistan army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Shahpur sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, succumbed late Sunday night.

Reports said the baby along with his mother Fatima Jan were injured after mortar shells fired from across the LoC fell close to their houses in Shahpur sector on Sunday afternoon. They were taken to district hospital Poonch where the infant, who was yet to be named, succumbed.

Several residential houses were also damaged in the cross-border firing by Pakistan, reports added.

A defence spokesperson said the Indian Army retaliated shelling and firing befittingly at all places in Shahpur and Sabjian sectors, where ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place at 5 pm (Sunday) and continued for about four hours.

Pakistan has repeatedly been violating the ceasefire along the LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. On July 22, an Indian soldier was killed in Pakistani firing in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri, while a civilian was also injured in another incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Poonch sector on July 20.

Another soldier was killed in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Machil sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on July 27.

Border skirmishes witnessed a spurt after India's pre-emptive airstrike 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 constant firing and shelling along the LoC and the international border (IB) has triggered panic prompting many families to seek shelter in safer areas. The life for border people is much more difficult not only because of lack of facilities but especially due to antagonistic relationship between India and Pakistan.

There is 198 km IB and over 510 km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.