SRINAGAR: According to locals, the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the heaviest artillery shelling from Pakistani troops since the 1971 Indo-Pak War killing 10 and injuring 40 civilians.
After India conducted military strikes under “Operation Sindoor” on Pakistan and PoK targeting and destroying nine terrorist camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen in retaliation against the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 tourists and a local resident were killed, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy artillery shelling along all sectors in Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The worst hit by the Pakistan shelling is the border district of Poonch, where the artillery shelling has been going on since 3 am.
MLA Poonch Havel Aijaz Jan told the TNIE that the heavy artillery shelling from Pakistani troops in Poonch sector started at 3 am and it is still going on.
The artillery shells fired by Pakistani troops landed in civilian areas. The shells fell on houses, schools, and other structures, causing casualties and damage.
“At least 10 persons including two women, have been killed and 40 others injured in the Pakistani shelling so far,” the MLA said.
The injured have been rushed to the nearby hospital, from where some of the critically injured patients have been shifted to Jammu hospital for specialised treatment.
Aijaz said one of the shells fell close to a Gurudwara in Poonch and hit a residential house in which one person was killed.
Two other Sikh community members were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in was hit by a mortar shell fired by Pakistani troops.
According to MLA Poonch, the artillery shells fired by Pakistani troops have damaged many houses, vehicles and other structures.
“A petrol pump has also been hit in Poonch,” he said.
Jan said he has never seen such heavy and intense shelling in his life.
“It is for the first time since the 1971 Indo-Pak war that such heavy and intense shelling is taking place in Poonch district,” he said.
The MLA said many border residents have moved to safer places in Jammu and other areas after the intense Pakistani troops shelling.
“The administration is closely watching the situation,” he added.
The Pakistani troops have also fired artillery shells on civilian areas in Uri, Karnah in north Kashmir and Rajouri and other border areas in Jammu region.
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has taken stock of the situation in the border districts of J&K UT with all the senior administrative, police and district officials including Deputy Commissioners of all the border districts.
Sinha said the situation is being closely monitored and the government is fully prepared to deal with any eventuality.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired an emergency meeting with Deputy Commissioners of all border districts through video conferencing to assess the situation in the wake of intense cross border shelling.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister gave directions to immediately release Contingency Funds of Rs 5 crore to each border district and Rs 2 crore each to other districts so that Deputy Commissioners are equipped to deal with the exigencies arising and requiring the availability of adequate resources.
He also called for strengthening infrastructure about providing shelters and bunkers for public in border areas, keeping evacuation plans ready, ensuring sufficient stock of food supplies and directed to move ambulances to the border districts witnessing cross border shelling so that in case of any casualty, the injured are rushed to the hospitals.
