Woman, boy killed, 7 hurt in Pak Army firing along border

Srinagar: Two civilians, including a woman, were killed and seven other persons injured when the Pakistani troops pounded civilian areas and forward Indian military posts along the LoC in J&K’s Poonch district with mortars and small arms on Tuesday, official said.

They identified the slain as 35-year-old woman Gulnaz Akhter and 16-year-old boy Sho’ab Ahmed. The doctors said that the woman was brought to Poonch’s district hospital dead, whereas the critically injured boy died soon after being admitted there.

Poonch’s deputy commissioner Rahul Yadav confirmed the death of two civilians and injuries to at least, seven others in Pakistani shelling and firing in Bandi and Chec-hian villages of Poonch.

He said that the seriously injured persons are being shifted to winter capital Jammu for specialised treatment.

He said, “Firing and shelling from the Pakistani side continues. We’re shifting some of the injured persons to Jammu after they were stabilised by doctors locally.”

A report from Poonch put the number of injured in the Pakistani shelling and firing at nine.

The Army said that the Pakistani troops resorted to ceasefire violation in Shahpur and Kirni sectors of the LoC in Poonch at around 2.30 by firing small arms and mortars. “The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly,” a brief statement issued by the Army said.