Shah Basit
At least five civilians, including a senior government officer, were killed and several others injured in intense cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces across the Line of Control in Jammu region.
Among the injured is a local journalist, Raj Kesar, who sustained splinter injuries after a mortar shell landed on his home in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district early Saturday morning.
Several members of his family were also wounded in the attack. All have been shifted to a nearby hospital and are reported to be in stable condition, official sources informed The Kashmiriyat.
The most devastating incident was reported from Rajouri town, where the residence of Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Raj Kumar Thappa was directly hit during the shelling.
Thappa, who had been actively coordinating relief and administrative duties in the region, was critically injured and succumbed before reaching the hospital, officials confirmed.
Two more civilians, both migrant workers from Bihar—including a two-year-old child and a 35-year-old man—were killed in an industrial area of Rajouri, where several shells struck worker accommodations. Their bodies were received at Government Medical College Rajouri early Saturday.
Elsewhere, in Mendhar area of Poonch, a woman identified as Rashida Bi of Keri Kangra village lost her life when shell fragments hit her home. Another civilian fatality was reported from RS Pura sector in Jammu, where Ashok Kumar of Bidipur Jatta died amid heavy shelling.
The rising tensions have prompted fears of further escalation along the LoC. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the loss of life, particularly mourning the death of ADDC Thappa. “Just yesterday he was with the Deputy CM overseeing district work. Today, his residence was struck. I have no words,” Omar said in a post on social media.
The situation remains tense as authorities continue to assess the damage and monitor developments along the border.
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
