Civilian injured, houses damaged in forward areas
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 7: At least three Pakistan army personnel were killed and an equal number of them were injured in heavy retaliatory firing by the Indian troops on the Line of Control (LoC) opposite Poonch district even while a civilian was injured and number of houses were damaged in Pakistan shelling and firing on civilian locations at Kasba, Kirni, Shahpur and surrounding forward villages.
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Sources told the Excelsior that the Indian Army retaliated Pakistani firing and shelling very effectively at all places on the LoC in Poonch district, leading to heavy exchanges at Kasba, Kirni, Shahpur and adjacent villages this morning. Pakistan army pounded civilian areas with mortars and automatic weapons hitting the houses directly.
SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral told the Excelsior that two houses of Mohammad Parwaiz son of Mohammad Din and Fazal Hussain son of Akbar Din, both residents of village Gountrian Mohalla in Poonch were damaged in Pakistan shelling while a cattle shed of Jamal Din son of Noor Din R/o Bandichechian was razed to ground as mortar shells exploded close to these structures.
A civilian was injured in the shelling at village Kasba, Angral said, adding that house of the civilian was also damaged. Injured civilian has been identified as Nasar Ali, 65, son of Bahadar Ali, a resident of Kasba.
He was evacuated from the site of shelling and firing and admitted in the District Hospital Poonch.
As Pakistan army continued to target civilian areas with long range mortars, the Indian Army retaliated effectively causing extensive damage on the Pakistan side.
Sources said at least three Pakistan army personnel were killed and as many injured in the Indian Army retaliation opposite Poonch sector today. Three posts and two bunkers of Pakistan army have been extensively damaged.
Ambulances could be seen shifting dead and injured Pakistan army personnel from forward areas to the hospitals.
Pakistan army has also kept number of militants at terror launch pads located close to their posts on the LoC across Poonch sector and heavy shelling and firing by them was also aimed at pushing trained infiltrators into Jammu and Kashmir for the terror activities. However, the alert Indian Army has been retaliating Pakistani shelling and firing very effectively at all the places to ensure that the militants don’t manage to infiltrate into this side.
Pakistan army has been regularly shelling civilian areas in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to cause civilian casualties and facilitate infiltration attempts by the militants, sources said, adding the Indian retaliation was aimed at silencing the Pakistani guns and prevent intrusion bids.
In the Indian retaliatory firing, there have been heavy casualties of Pakistan army besides the infrastructural damage.
Meanwhile, fear has gripped the residents of forward areas in Rajouri and Poonch districts due to continued heavy shelling by Pakistan army in residential areas. People have confined themselves to their bunkers and houses and were rarely coming out to go to fields and other routine work.
“Already we are suffering due to Coronavirus threat and Pakistan army has compounded our problems with regular shelling and firing on our houses,” a number of residents said.
Further, they added, the majority community has been observing fast in the holy month of Ramzan and Pakistan army was still targeting them.
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