SRI NAGAR: A woman and a boy were killed and 10 others were left injured on Tuesday, due to heavy firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC), in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. Mortar shellings were also reported. An army official said Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire in Shahpur and Kerni sectors, along the LoC in Poonch at around 2.30 pm.
He said that they fired from small, automatic weapons and also rained mortar shells on army positions and civilian areas along the two sectors.Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Rahul Yadav, confirmed to this newspaper that two civilians — a 35-year-old and a 16-year-old-boy — were killed and 10 others were left injured in the incident. The deceased have been identified as Gulnaz and Shoaib.
A police official said that announcements were made through public address system advising civilians in the area to stay indoors for their safety.Defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said that the Indian army has retaliated.“Indian army is giving a befitting response,” he said. There have been nearly 3,000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and the IB, including 950 post abrogation of Article 370 provisions on August 5, this year, officials said.
Arrests for disrupting peace
Police in north and central Kashmir also arrested nine people, for their alleged involvement in multiple cases of petrol bomb attacks, setting ablaze shops and threatening shopkeepers.A police official said that they received information about some miscreants setting ablaze shops at three different places in Baramulla Market in north Kashmir. Multiple shops including a shopping complex were left heavily damaged due to the fires.
“Police were able to track down and arrest the accused involved,” the official said.
The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Maroof Saliah alias Aadil, Bilal Mehraj Bhat, Sameer Ahmad Shakroo and Aadil Gaffar Sofi.The official also added that incriminating pieces of evidence were recovered during the investigation.Police in central Kashmir also arrested a group of five involved in hurling petrol bombs in downtown areas of Saraf Kadal, Bohrri Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Khanyar and Nowhatta in Srinagar.
Nearly 3K ceasefire violations
There have been nearly 3,000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and the IB, including 950 post abrogation of Article 370 provisions on August 5, this year, officials said. The ceasefire incident at Poonch on Tuesday was the latest such incident