Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 18: An Army soldier and a civilian were injured while several cattle were killed or injured as Pakistan army continued heavy mortar shelling and firing on forward Army posts and civilian population in Balakote and Mendhar sectors of Poonch district since last night while a CAPD store was directly hit by mortar shell tonight and was gutted in the resultant fire.
Official sources said a CAPD store at village Basooni in Balakote sector was directly hit by mortar shells at about 9 pm tonight and caught fire. Entire ration material inside the store including rice, flour and sugar were destroyed. The building was gutted in the fire.
SSP Poonch Jatinder Singh Johar said several mortar shells fell close to Police Post Basooni but the police personnel there had narrow escape.
“The shelling with 120 mm and 82 mm mortars and firing with Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs), Rocket Projectile Guns (RPGs) and automatic weapons is going on unabated in all forward villages of Balakote and parts of Mendhar sector since last night. It stops briefly only to resume again after couple of hours,’’ sources said.
An Army soldier Paramjit Singh was hit by the bullets while manning forward posts in Balakote and was injured. A civilian Mohammad Ashraf son of Gul Hassan, a resident of Behroti in Balakote was injured after being hit by splinters of the mortar shells. Both of them were evacuated and shifted to hospitals. The injured civilian has been referred to the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu from the District Hospital Rajouri in view of his serious condition.
Several cattle were also killed and injured. Kala Khan son of Mohammad Sher lost his two cattle in the shelling in Balakote.
Sources said heavy shelling and firing by the Pakistan army continued almost throughout the last night in entire Balakote sector and parts of Mendhar. It stopped around 4 am but against resumed at 6.15 am and continued till 9.30 am. From 12 noon onwards, the shelling and firing was going on almost uninterruptedly.
“All forward villages and posts of Balakote and parts of Mendhar sector, bordering Balakote, were under intense shelling of Pakistan army,’’ sources said, adding that the troops from this side were retaliating very effectively, leading to heavy exchange and virtually making the LoC in Balakote and Mendhar sectors a war zone.
The people remained confined to their houses in view of uninterrupted shelling and firing from across the LoC, sources said, adding that there was panic among the people living in border areas as they feared that heavy mortar shells could hit them anytime.
Army, civil and police administration have alerted the border dwellers and asked them not to venture out from their houses. They have asked the people to remain confined to their houses or bunkers. Authorities have also made available ambulances in the dispensaries and other places to shift the injured civilians.
Sources said Pakistan army was directly firing mortars in the civilian areas to cause casualties among the civilians and their cattle and damage their property.
Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire 25 times in September this year. Today was sixth ceasefire violation by Pakistan along LoC in Poonch since September 15.
On September 16, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire thrice in Krishna Ghati and Balakote sectors of Poonch district.
Pakistani troops used 120 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs apart from automatic weapons to target forward areas and civilian villages along LoC in Poonch district yesterday.
On September 15, Pakistan had fired from automatic weapons on forward posts along the LoC in Balakote sector from 1820 hours to 2100 hours without any casualty.
On Sunday, BSF officer ASI Sohan Lal was killed in shelling when Pakistan targeted their post in Manjakote sector along LoC in Rajouri district.
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