Heavy shelling by Pak at LoC

Jammu, May 14: Pakistani troops heavily shelled areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district for the second consecutive day on Sunday, causing heavy damage to buildings and forcing evacuation of 1,000 border dwellers.

The Indian Army effectively retaliated.

Pakistan Army had on Saturday pounded civilian areas and forward posts along the LoC in Nowshera area with mortars, killing two civilians and injuring three.

“Pakistani Army has resorted to indiscriminate firing of small arms, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars from 0645 hours along the Line of Control in Rajouri sector”, a defence spokesman said.

Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the number of migrants at relief camps swelled to 978 overnight.

About 51 schools in Nowshera sector have been closed for an indefinite period while 36 in Manjakote and Doongi zones have been closed for three days.

After the Pakistani shelling, 1000 people were evacuated from various areas along the LoC in Rajouri district.

The Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively. Heavy firing across the border is presently on.

— DEFENCE SPOKESMAN

Nowshera (J&K), May 14: Forced to flee their homes, leaving behind cattle and ready to harvest crops due to frequent shelling by Pakistan, the residents along the Line of Control are batting for the construction of ‘community bunkers’ in their villages.

For the thousands living in these vulnerable zones, fear creeps in when the sun sets as their hamlets come under intense shelling by the neighbour’s army.

Mortar marks on walls of houses and shops in the area are a testimony to the brute firing by Pakistani army targeting the civilian population.

The Pakistan army had on Saturday pounded civilian areas along the LoC in Nowshera area with mortars, killing two civilians and injuring

It was the worst shelling along LoC in Nowshera since 2002. Hundreds of mortar shells were fired by Pakistan, especially targeting civilian areas and hamlets.

— MADAN LAL, A villager of Nowshera

three others. The border dwellers are now batting for construction of community bunkers to safeguard themselves from the cross-border shelling.

Madan Lal (62) said he along with his five family members took shelter in an underground bunker set up by him near his house for 20 hours, before being ferried in a bulletproof vehicle by police and housed in a camp in Nowshera.

“It was the worst shelling along LoC in Nowshera since 2002. Hundreds of mortar shells were fired by Pakistan, especially targeting civilian areas and hamlets. It was raining shells,” he said.

Jangarh residents— Rajan Choudhary, Mohinder and Suresh Kumar— also vouched for the usefulness of such bunkers for safeguarding lives.

They said community bunkers should be constructed in each and every hamlet dotting the Indo-Pakistan border.

“If the government would have set up a bunker, my wife would not have died. They has failed to keep the promise of setting up bunkers for border dwellers,” 40year-old Haneef, who was injured in the attack, said.