Pak summons India’s deputy high commissioner over firing along LoC
Territorial Army soldier and his wife killed as Pak shells strike house in Poonch
JAMMU: An on-leave soldier of the Territorial Army and his wife were killed, while their two children were injured, in Pakistani shelling on the Line of Control in Gulpur sector of Poonch district early on Saturday morning.
The family was sleeping when a 120mm mortar shell landed in their house at Karmara village and exploded, an intelligence official said.
The victims were identified as Mohammed Shaukat, 40, who was posted as a havildar in Palma area of Rajouri district with the Territorial Army’s 156 TA (Punjab) battalion, and his wife Safia Bi, 35.
Their minor daughters Rubina Kausar and Zahid Kausar, who suffered splinter injuries, were hospitalised. Nazia, daughter of Mohammed Mushtaq of the same village, also suffered splinter injuries. Shaukat had joined TA in 2007.
Earlier, confusion arose when some TV reports identified Shaukat as a jawan of the army’s Punjab Regiment.
However, the army later clarified that Shaukat was posted with the Territorial Army.
The army added that Pakistani troops were constantly targeting civilian areas and villages along the LoC.
A local from Poonch town said Khari Karmara village was facing heavy shelling.
Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said at around 6.30am, Pakistani troops opened small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire on Indian posts and forward villages.
The cross firing between the two sides lasted till 11am.
Meanwhile, Pakistan summoned India’s deputy high commissioner JP Singh in Islamabad on Saturday over alleged firing by Indian troops in Chirikot and Satwal sectors, which killed two Pakistanis and injured three.
Pakistan accused India of violating the ceasefire along the LoC in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), a Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said in a statement.
Inter services public relations, publicity wing of Pakistan Army, said on its website that “Indian Army opened unprovoked firing of small arms along the LoC in Chirikot and Satwal sector. Pakistan Army troops responded to Indian unprovoked firing”.
Tension in the Valley also affected the Amarnath Yatra. No fresh batch of pilgrims left the Yatri Niwas base camp from Jammu for the cave shrine in view of the volatile situation in the wake of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani’s death anniversary.