In a fresh incident of ceasefire violation, Indian troops resorted to unprovoked shelling in Leepa valley of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday, leaving two women dead and five men wounded, officials said.
The death toll, however, soared to three after a 12-year-old girl, who was injured by Indian firing in another area last week, succumbed to her wounds, added the officials.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Jhelum Valley district Abdul Hameed Kiani, fresh casualties occurred in Leepa valley when Indian troops opened firing at Leepa Sector at 8 am in the morning.
The firing continued around five hours and ended after a powerful retaliation from the Pakistan Army.
It may be mentioned here that a foundation ceremony was underway at the Government Degree College, Leepa, and continued without any break.
“Initially the shelling was restricted to army posts, but later the Indians also started pounding civilian establishments in what has been their regular practice,” added Kiani.
Kiani said the details of losses could not reach them instantly because the communication network in the mountainous area was erratic. “But so far, the reports received from the affected areas confirm the martyrdom of two women,” he said.
The deceased were identified as Maryam Dar, wife of Imran Dar, and Sumaira Mir, daughter of Younus Mir — residents of Naukot village.
Sumaira was due to tie the nuptial knot after two weeks, her relatives said.
The injured, identified as Munir Nazir, Shakil, Rafique Subhan, Zeeshan Rafique and Anwar Baig, were being provided treatment at a local military-run health facility.
Last time Leepa valley was hit by heavy Indian shelling on July 21, when a young boy was killed and three other members of his family were injured. Prior to that, four members of a family were injured in the same valley in overnight shelling on June 8.
Young girl dies
Adeeba Kosar, a 12-year old daughter of Mohammad Taj, who was injured on Oct 18 in Dothala village of Nakyal sector in the southern Kotli district, lost her battle for life at a hospital in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, assistant commissioner Waleed Anwar confirmed.
She was buried in her native village later in the afternoon, he added.
On October 18, as many as eight persons were injured in different villages of Nakyal sector. The heavily militarised LoC has been witnessing an exchange of heavy fire for quite some time in a serious breach of November 2003 ceasefire agreement.