Pak shelling kills 3 villagers in Poonch

JAMMU: Three members of a family were killed and two others injured as Pakistani forces heavily shelled areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Friday, officials said.

Pakistani forces targeted civilian areas with mortar bombs and heavy guns, including Howitzer 105 mm, they said, adding, Indian forces retaliated effectively.

JAMMU:Three members of a family were killed and two others injured as Pakistani forces heavily shelled areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Friday, officials said.

Pakistani forces targeted civilian areas with mortar bombs and heavy guns, including Howitzer 105 mm, they said, adding, Indian forces retaliated effectively.

In the heavy shelling, three members of a family were killed and another was injured in Salotri in Poonch district, where shells hit several houses, they said. Rubana Kosar, 24, and her son Fazan, 5, and nine-month-old daughter Shabnam were killed in the shelling. Rubana’s husband Mohd Yunis was injured, they said. Earlier in the day, a woman, identified as Naseem Akhtar, was injured in the firing by Pakistani forces in the Mankote area of Poonch, officials said.

Besides Salotri and Mankote, shelling also took place in Krishnagati and Balakote areas in Poonch district. In violation of the ceasefire agreement with India, Pakistani forces have been shelling areas along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts for eight consecutive days.

On Thursday, a woman was killed and a jawan was injured when Pakistani Army heavily shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army. The Pakistan Army has violated the ceasefire for over 60 times during the last one week by targeting over 70 civilian and forward areas along the LoC in Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir, in which one woman was killed and 9 persons were injured.