Soldier injured in Pak firing dies; toll rises to 12 in 4 days

JAMMU: One civilian was killed and another injured on Sunday when Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LOC) for the fourth consecutive day in Jammu and Poonch districts, drawing retaliation from Indian forces, an official said.

“Two brothers were injured when shells hit their house in Kanachak-pragwal sector along the IB in Jammu district tonight. One of them, Gopal, later succumbed to his injuries and the other is in hospital,” a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, an army jawan injured in the firing in Poonch district succumbed on Saturday night, taking the death toll in the border firing to 12 since Thursday, police said. The dead include seven civilians, three armymen and two BSF personnel.

“Pakistan Rangers resumed (shelling) along IB in Kanachak sector of Jammu tonight. They have been mortar shelling and it is being replied back,” a BSF spokesman said.

Pakistan has resumed heavy shelling along the LOC in Bhawani, Karali, Said, Numb and Sher Makri areas of Rajouri district this evening, DC, Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.

In Akhnoor, Pakistani forces resorted to firing along the LOC, police officials said. Troops are carrying out retaliatory firing, they added.

Signalman Chandan Kumar Rai, posted at a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was grievously injured when Pakistani army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing around 4.30pm on Saturday, northern army spokesman Col NN Joshi said.

He was taken to the military hospital where he succumbed to injuries at night, he said.

Firing from across the border started on Thursday and has forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

An official said on Sunday that the state government has set-up six relief camps to provide shelter to border dwellers. “Six relief camps are already functional and provided with all basic amenities,” an official spokesman said.

Minister for Public Health Engineering Sham Lal Choudhary on Sunday conducted an extensive tour of Suchetgarh and RS Pura sectors to take stock of the damage caused to life, property and livestock due to the cross-border firing.