Pak resorts to heavy shelling along LoC, woman killed

A woman was killed while an off-duty soldier was critically wounded as the Armies of India and Pakistan targeted each other with mortar shells on Thursday along the Line of Control (LoC) across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Reports said 32-year-old Amina Akhtar died after a shell fired by the Pakistani army landed in the house of the deceased in Chajla hamlet of Mendhar sector in Poonch district. In a similar incident, an off-duty soldier was seriously injured when a Pakistani shell landed in his house in Mankote area of Mendhar, in the same district.

Amidst escalating tension and heavy shelling along the LoC in Poonch, Rajouri and Baramulla districts of J&K, border residents are migrating to the safer zones while education institutions close to the LoC and International Border have been closed.

The fresh ceasefire violations came a day after the air forces of both the neighbouring countries claimed to have downed each other’s fighter jets. Pakistan also captured Indian Air Force’s Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

MUST READ | Surgical Strike 2.0 LIVE - Catch latest updates here

Reports said the people from border villages are cleaning the underground bunkers so that in case of air raid or shelling, they could take refuge there. There were mud and water in many bunkers due to recent rains and they have started restoration/ maintenance work for the emergency purpose, reports added.

Since the India Air Force (AIF) made ingress into the Pakistan province to “avenge” the killing of over 40 paramilitary personnel in Pulwama terror attack, Pakistani army has repeatedly targeted Indian border outposts and civilian areas along the LoC across the state. India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the International Border and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

Over the last two years, Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides. In 2018 Pakistan violated ceasefire nearly 3,000 times - the highest by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border.