LoC firing: Women, children among 19 civilians injured in AJK

RAWALPINDI: Women and children among 19 Pakistani civilians were injured as Indian forces resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday in different sectors of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

According to media reports, eight persons in Khuiratta sector, 10 in different villages of Poonch district, and one in Tetrinote village were reported wounded.

Khuiratta sector Assistant Commissioner (AC) Ali Asghar identified the names of the victims as Munir Begum, 50, Somia Zubair, 28, Moeen Riaz, 22, Sheharyar Jabir, 22, and his cousin Aamer Suleman, 21, Anwar Begum, 80, and Abdul Qadeer, 25, Danish Rauf, 16, in Khuiratta sector.

Apart from human casualties, three buffaloes of one Mistri Tofeeq were also killed in the neighbouring Tain village while the shelling also damaged several houses.

Heavy shelling started in Battal sector of Hajira district at about 4:30 pm where 10 persons were wounded in different villages, according to Raja Tahir Mumtaz, deputy commissioner of Poonch district.

Mumtaz identified the victims as Shah Begum, 50, Adil Mohammad, 11, Furqan Taraf, 18, in Dharamsal village; Nahila Bibi, 15, Anwar Jan, 40, in Rakkar Dabi village; Lubna Khalid, 27, in Mandhol village; Arzu Rahim, 10, and her sister Aiman Rahim, 6, Konain Hafeez, 15, and Zahida Begum, 40, in Battal village.

Shelling was also reported from the southernmost Bhimber district, where according to deputy commissioner Chaudhry Guftar, a 25-year old woman Mehreen Amir was injured in Abdullahpur village of tehsil Samahni.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the ceasefire violations in which the Indian forces targeted civilian population in Khuiratta sector along the working boundary.

Meanwhile, soldiers of Pakistan Army responded in retaliation to the unprovoked firing and engaged an Indian post. This is the second ceasefire violation by the Indian forces in less than a week.

Earlier, on Saturday, a Pakistani woman was martyred as Indian troops resorted to unprovoked fire across in the LoC’s Nakyal sector.

The incident saw the summoning of Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh to the Foreign Office in Islamabad.

Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal handed the Indian diplomat lodged a strong protest over the Indian ceasefire violation, calling on New Delhi to abide by the ceasefire agreement.

Indian forces have carried out around 400 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary so far this year, resulting in the killing and injuries to dozens of civilians.

The escalation in ceasefire violations by the Indian forces has continued from last year in which the Indian forces committed more than 1,970 ceasefire violations.