Indian shelling across LoC claims lives of two civilians, injures 5 others

RAWALPINDI: At least two civilians died while another five were wounded in a Line of Control (LOC) violation by Indian forces on Saturday.

Indian troops targeted the Nakyal sector in the Kotli district throughout Friday night and most of Saturday morning.

According to reports, a man and a woman were killed during the night, whereas four others were injured during the day. The injured were rushed to the nearby hospital.

Casualties may increase as reports come in from other affected areas, according to reports.

On Friday, two people were killed in the AJK’s Bhimber district along the LoC due to unprovoked Indian firing.

On January 16, Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal, calling India’s violation of the ceasefire agreement ‘quite alarming’, had said Pakistan cannot ignore the situation at the Line of Control (LoC). He had explained that India has violated the ceasefire agreement more than 100 times in 2017.

The LoC has been witnessing frequent fire exchanges, in a serious breach of a ceasefire agreement signed by both armies in November 2003.

Tensions mounted after an attack on an Indian army installation in Uri in September 2016 by suspected militants, which claimed the lives of 18 Indian soldiers.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack; Pakistan, however, strongly rejected the claim.

Ever since, several casualties, mostly of civilians, have occurred in cross-border shelling.