Woman killed in mortar shelling from across LOC

A WOMAN was killed and her husband injured in Laam as Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling at forward Indian positions along the Line of Control in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district on Wednesday night, police said.

Identifying the deceased as Akhtar Begum, 35, and the injured as Mohammad Hanief, the police said the couple were inside their home when a mortar shell landed there. They were taken to hospital, but the woman succumbed to her injuries.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Colonel Manish Mehta said, “Pakistani troops initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars along the LOC in Nowshera sector around 10.40 pm on Wednesday. The firing from across the border, which continued till Thursday morning, was effectively retaliated by the Indian troops.”

Sources said that two shells alsofellinthepremisesofthestate government-runmiddleschoolat Jhanghar, damaging a newly constructedtoilet.someshellsalsofell near residential areas, but there were no reports of any other loss.

In view of the mortar shelling, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Shahid Iqbal Choudhary has ordered closure of all schools in villages adjoining the LOC in Nowshera subdivision. Government higher secondary schools have been earmarked as camps for migrants. Apprehending a spurt in shelling from Pakistan, some families have left their houses in Laam and taken shelter at a government school at Nowshera.

The latest ceasefire violation comes 12 days after the killing of an Army JCO and a BSF man in unprovoked mortar shelling and firing of rockets from across the LOC in Poonch district. Later, a Border Action Team entered Indian territory and mutilated their bodies.

PTI The wall of a school in Rajouri damaged by mortar shelling .