February 27
Pakistan on Tuesday alleged that Indian troops late evening resorted to indiscriminate shelling from across the dividing line, leaving at least four civilians dead and 11 others wounded in Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK).
The machinegun, mortar and artillery shelling began at about 5:30pm simultaneously in Kotli, Bhimber and Poonch districts and was “intense and indiscriminate”, with civilians being ruthlessly targeted by Indian forces without any provocation, Dawn quoting officials reported.
The Kotli district was the worst hit area as all four of its sectors sharing the LoC came under heavy attack, according to deputy commissioner Dr Umer Azam.
Relations between Pakistan and India have been tense since a suicide bombing in Kashmir killed over 40 CRPF personnel, with New Delhi blaming Pakistan of being complicit in the attack — a charge Islamabad has denied.
Dawn reported that one of the shells fell on a house in Mohra Dharoti village of Nakyal sector and as a result, a woman and her two children were killed and another three children wounded.
He identified the deceased as Motiyan Begum, 55, Zarina, 20, and Gulfraz, 8, and the injured family members as Umar Farooq, 18, Sarfraz, 13, and Sagheer, 7.
Elsewhere in the same sector, 15-year-old Umer Mushtaq, Abdul Rahman, 40, Shamim Akhtar, 41 were injured in Saloor Tarkundi village and Khaqan, 40, in Balakot village, the deputy commissioner added.
In Khuiratta sector of the same district, Shehnaz Begum, 40, lost her life, while Adnan Aslam and his sister Sumera Aslam, and Munir Begum were injured in Khanpur Seri village.
Shelling was also taking place in Tattapani and parts of Charhoi sectors, but no casualties were immediately reported from there, Azam said.
“Since shelling is continuing intermittently, the casualties may go up … Once the guns fall silent we will be able to ascertain the exact details of losses,” he said.