SRINAGAR: Pakistan on Tuesday alleged that Indian troops on Tuesday late evening resorted to indiscriminate shelling from across the LoC, leaving at least four civilians dead and 11 others injured in Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK), Dawn newspaper quoted officials as having said.
According to report published by Dawn newspaper, “the machinegun, mortar and artillery shelling began at about 5:30 pm simultaneously in Kotli, Bhimber and Poonch districts and was intense and indiscriminate with civilians being ruthlessly targeted by Indian forces without any provocation,” officials added.
“The Kotli district was the worst hit area as all four of its sectors sharing the LoC came under heavy attack,” Dawn newspaper quoted deputy commissioner Dr Umer Azam as having said.
“Relations between Pakistan and India have been tense since a suicide bombing in Kashmir killed over 40 Indian soldiers, with Delhi blaming Pakistan of being complicit in the attack — a charge Islamabad has denied,” said the report.
“One of the shells fell on a house in Mohra Dharoti village of Nakyal sector and as a result, a woman and her two children were killed and another three children wounded,” Dawn quoted an official as having said.
According to report, he identified the deceased as Motiyan Begum, 55, Zarina, 20, and Gulfraz, 8, and the injured family members as Umar Farooq, 18, Sarfraz, 13, and Sagheer, 7.
“Elsewhere in the same sector, 15-year-old Umer Mushtaq, Abdul Rahman, 40, Shamim Akhtar, 41 were injured in Saloor Tarkundi village and Khaqan, 40, in Balakot village,” the deputy commissioner added.
“In Khuiratta sector of the same district, Shehnaz Begum, 40, lost her life, while Adnan Aslam and his sister Sumera Aslam, and Munir Begum were injured in Khanpur Seri village,” said the report.
“Shelling was also taking place in Tattapani and parts of Charhoi sectors, but no casualties were immediately reported from there,” the report quoted Azam as having said.
“Since shelling is continuing intermittently, the casualties may go up … Once the guns fall silent we will be able to ascertain the exact details of losses,” Dawn quoted an official as having said.
