JAMMU: Eight civilians killed , including two minors, and 25 wounded after Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling in Samba, Rajouri, Jammu, Poonch, Ramgarh, Nowshera and Balakote areas even as Indian forces responded with massive fire on Tuesday.
BSF said it had destroyed today 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action along International Border (IB) in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Jammu frontier.
After surgical strikes tensions escalated on terror pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and targeting of border areas, resulted in the death of four civilians in Samba district and two in Rajouri sector.
Samba deputy commissioner Sheetal Nanda said.”Around 20 camps have been set up in the district, of which seven-eight are operational with facilities including medical treatment.”
At the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts an Army jawan and a woman were killed and five others, including two Army jawans, were injured in heavy Pakistani mortar shelling on Monday. Pakistan hit Indian targets with 82mm and 120mm mortar guns.
DIG Dharmendra Pareek said.”BSF gave a calibrated retaliation on the international border in response to unprovoked firing and shelling by Pakistani Rangers in areas of Ramgarh and Arnia sectors since morning.”
A teenager identified as Rajinder Kaur (19), from Jerda village in Samba district died of splinter injuries while two villagers were injured in the same area.
“A girl and two minor boys (Abhi and Ravish) died in the crossborder firing,” Nanda said. Defence spokesperson in Jammu Lt Col Manish Mehta said, “Pakistan fired unprovoked in Nowshera sector from 5.30am.”
174 schools in the border belt of Jammu district have been closed by the authorities in wake of the Pakistani shelling.