Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 7: As Indo-Pak Director General level talks between BSF and Rangers approached, Pakistan army once again resorted to heavy mortar shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Sabzian sector of Poonch district last night and extended it till this afternoon targeting civilian population, killing one civilian and injuring three others, one of them seriously.
The Indian side gave appropriate response to the shelling.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Pakistan army started heavy firing with automatic weapons and Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) at 11 pm last night in entire Sabzian sector targeting forward Indian posts of the Army followed by civilian habitations. The Indian side retaliated effectively, leading to heavy exchanges.
While exchange of firing continued till this morning, Pakistani troops started pounding civilian population with 120 mm and 82 mm mortars and heavy calibre weapons at about 8 am today when the people had started going to the fields. Several mortar shells fell close to the houses of the civilians and fields causing extensive damage to the property and killing one civilian besides injuring three others, one of them seriously.
The civilian killed in the shelling has been identified as Abdul Hamid, 28, son of Qamar Din R/o Shahpur Kirni. The seriously injured was identified as Abdul Rashid, 27, son of Abdul Aziz, a resident of Danugam while two others injured included Abdul Aziz and Abdul Majid.
Dead and injured were evacuated from the site of shelling and firing by security and police personnel and admitted in the hospital. While Abdul Hamid was declared as brought dead, three others were being treated for splinter wounds they sustained in the mortar shelling.
Sources said Pakistan side also appeared to have suffered extensive damage in retaliatory firing by the Indian Army but extent of the damage was not known.
The shelling stopped at 2 pm, they added.
This was for fifth consecutive day today when Pakistan army violated ceasefire along the LoC in different sectors in Poonch district.
Sources said Pakistan army used 120 mm and 82 mm mortars, Rocket Projectile Guns (RPGs), Heavy Machine Guns and semi automatic weapons in targeting the Indian side including forward Army pickets and civilian population. The fresh spell of Pakistani shelling has created wave of panic among the civilians, who had just recovered from heavy shelling in Balakote sector of Poonch district, where six civilians were killed and over 20 others were injured on August 15 and 16.
There were no casualties of the troops or damage on their side in firing and shelling, sources said, adding that the civilians remained confined to their houses after Pakistani shelling and firing during the day.
Sources said some houses and cattle sheds in Sabzian have also suffered extensive damage in the Pakistani shelling.
Meanwhile, senior officers of Army, police and civil administration visited the villages worst hit by the shelling and took assessment of the damages.
During past four days, Pakistan had only been resorting to firing but there was no shelling. However, today they resorted to heavy mortar shelling, sources said.
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