Woman and her two kids,5 And 9-month-old killed in Pak Shelling in Poonch

Mangalore Today News Network

Srinagar, Mar 02, 2019 : Three persons of a family, including a woman and her two children, were killed in heavy overnight shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir’s Poonch district. Another person was severely injured in the firing. The three have been identified as Rubana Kosar, 24, and her son Fazan, 5, and nine-month-old daughter Shabnam, NDTV reported.

 

Pakistani forces targeted civilian areas with heavy guns including the Howitzer 105 mm and mortar bombs, said the police, adding that the Indian forces retaliated effectively.

Pakistani shells hit several houses in Salotri village near the LoC. Earlier on Friday, a woman was injured in cross-border firing in Mankote area of Poonch. Besides Mankote and Salotri, Pakistani forces also targeted villages in Krishnaghati and Balakote sectors. Intermittent firing has been going on since the last eight days said the Jammu and Kashmir police.

The district authorities have asked schools within 5 kilometre along the LoC, in Poonch and Rajouri, to close down temporarily and ordered villagers to stay indoors.

On Thursday, a civilian was injured in Pakistani firing in Uri, said officials and yesterday four securitymen were killed in Rajouri.

In the last one week, there have been as many as 60 ceasefire violations in the forward areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu and Baramulla districts, said police sources. Senior army personnel - Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, White Knight Corps Commander, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh reviewed the situation in the forward posts of Rajouri sector.

Ceasefire violations escalated manifold in last one year. 2018 witnessed 2,936 violations by Pakistani troops - the highest number in the last 15 years.