Uri/Srinagar, Mar 10: At least four civilians were injured and a residential house damaged in ongoing cross-LoC shelling in Uri sector of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Sunday.
After few days of lull, uneasy calm was shattered at LoC in Uri sector on Sunday when both India and Pakistan armies exchanged heavy motor shelling in Kamalkote sector. Four civilians were injured who were rushed to Sub-District Hospital Uri.
The injured were identified as Riyaz Ahmad Khatana, son of Sardar Mohammad Khatana; Meeena Begum, wife of Mohammad Anwar Mir; Asif Ahmad, son of Mohammad Anwar Mir, and Ishfaq Ahmad, son of Mohammad Maqbool Mir, all residents of Wattar Kamalkot.
The shelling was going when this report was being filed.
Earlier, a residential house of Mohammad Sadiq Gujjar, son of Baber Ali Gujjar of Batad Kamalkote was damaged partially after being hit by a motor shell.
Senior Superintendent of Police SSP Baramulla Abdul Qayoom confirmed to ‘Kashmir Images’ that four civilians were injured in the fresh shelling and that the injured have been shifted to hospital.
Hospital sources said that the injured civilians are referred to District Hospital Baramulla wherefrom two of them — Ishfaq Ahmad and Riyaz Ahmad Khatana — were referred to SKIMS Soura for specialised treatment.
Indian and Pakistani troops Sunday also exchanged fire at four places along the LoC in Poonch district, officials said.
The firing was intense in the Krishna Ghati sector, where the Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling and firing by small arms from around 04.30 AM, which was retaliated to befittingly by the Indian Army, a defence spokesman said.
He said the cross-border shelling between the two sides continued till 07.30 AM. There was no report of any casualty on this side, he said.
Officials said firing and shelling by Pakistan were also reported from the Balnoi and Mankote (both in Mendhar sector), besides from Shahpur sector, all in Poonch district, for a brief period in the early hours of Sunday.
The firing was mild in nature and lasted for a brief period without causing any harm, they said.
On late Saturday as well, the Pakistan Army had targeted Indian positions in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district for several hours.
There has been a spurt in cross-LoC firings between the two sides after India’s airstrike on what it claimed was a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama suicide attack in which 49 CRPF personnel were killed.
Four civilians, including three members of a family, were killed and several others injured in cross-LoC firing along the LoC in the state since then.
The frequent ceasefire violations have caused panic among the border residents, forcing authorities to close down educational institutions within five km radius from the zero line in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri as a precautionary measure.
However, most schools reopened a few days back after the intensity of the cross-border firing decreased.
