Woman killed, 3 injured in Pak shelling along LoC

A 65-year-old woman was killed and three other civilians were injured on Wednesday as Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked mortar shelling on forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in different sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

While the elderly woman was killed in heavy shelling by Pakistan in Poonch district of the Jammu region, two civilians were injured in Tangdhar sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district, they said.

A police official identified the deceased woman as Resham Bi, a resident of Sagra village.

She was staying at her relative's house in Balakote sector's Lanjot village. She died after a mortar shell exploded in the compound of the house, he said.

Another woman, who was identified as Hakam Bi, was critically injured in the incident and was taken to hospital, he added.

A defence spokesperson said Pakistan resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars in Balakote and Mendhar sectors of Poonch around 2 am.

The Indian Army retaliated in a befitting manner and the cross-border shelling between the two sides lasted for 45 minutes, the spokesperson said, adding that casualties suffered by Pakistan in the retaliatory action were not known immediately.

In another incident, two civilians were injured when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Kupwara district.

"Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district on 08 July, 2020 in the afternoon hours by firing mortars and other weapons," an Army official said.

Two civilians were injured in the firing and shelling by Pakistani troops, he said.

The Indian Army gave a befitting response to the unprovoked aggression, he added.

Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Rahul Yadav visited Mendhar sector and handed over an ex gratia relief of Rs 1 lakh and an amount of Rs 10,000 from the Red Cross fund to the next of kin of the deceased woman, an official spokesperson said.

He said Yadav also provided an amount of Rs 10,000 from the fund in favour of the injured woman.

Yadav was accompanied by Senior Superintendent of Police, Poonch, Ramesh Angral and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mendhar, Sahil Jandial, the spokesperson said.