J&K: Pak army targets civilians in 4 LoC sectors, Indian Army retaliates

Jammu: The Pakistan army violated ceasefire four times on Tuesday targeting civilian areas and Indian positions along the Line of Control (LOC) by firing mortar shells in four sectors in the Rajouri and Poonch districts, prompting the Indian Army to retaliate, officials said.

In another ceasefire violation by Pakistan at the Nowgam sector of Kashmir, 1 soldier was killed.

Around fifty students of a government high school were trapped in the shelling in Rajouri district's Naushera sector while twelve students of a primary school were rescued by the authorities.

One jawan was reportedly injured in the heavy exchanges of fire.

"The Pakistan army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 1350 hours in the Naushera sector of Rajouri district along the LoC", a defence spokesman said on Tuesday.

The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively, he said.

The Pak army also targeted civilian areas and Indian army posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali and Balakote sectors of Rajouri district as well as the Poonch sector triggering fear among residents.

According to the defence spokesman, the Pakistan army initiated unprovoked firing from 6:45 am in Bhimbher Gali (Rajouri) and Poonch sectors.

As per reports one jawan suffered minor splinter injuries in the exchange of the fire in the Bhimber Gali sector.

Deputy Commissioner (Rajouri) Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said that 45 to 50 students of a government high school in Sehar in Naushera sector were trapped due to heavy shelling.

He said the school was located at a height making the task of evacuation difficult.

However, police and authorities have evacuated 12 students from a primary school at Kadali in Naushera and they were ferried in bullet proof vehicles during intermittent shelling by Pakistan, he said.

"We have sent 3 bullet proof vehicles to evacuate the students from high school at Sehar. Once the intensity of shelling comes down, we will evacuate them too", Choudhary said.

The shelling comes just a day after the Indian director general of military operations (DGMO) conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart that the Army was sincere about maintaining peace but reserved the right to retaliate against any incident of ceasefire violation.

On Monday as well, the Pakistan army had initiated unprovoked firing on Indian Army posts in Rajouri, Poonch and Baramulla districts, officials said.

In the exchange of fire, Naik Muddasar Ahmed was killed when mortar shells landed on his bunker. Ahmed, who hailed from Duchoo village, is survived by his wife Shaheena Muddasar and two children.

Pakistan had shelled mortars on civilian areas yesterday also in which nine-year-old Sajada Kouser was killed at Baroti, officials said adding that two other civilians and a jawan were also injured in Rajouri.

Schools in the border area of Manajote and Balakote belts and also Poonch have been closed. The administration has sounded an alert and advised the residents to stay indoors and field officers have been deputed for coordination, he said.

There were over a dozen of ceasefire violation by Pak army along LoC in J&K in which seven people including four jawans were killed and 12 injured in the month of July 2017.