Baramulla: A woman was killed and two other civilians sustained injuries in cross-Line of Control (LoC) shelling in Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday forcing fifteen families of frontier Salikote village to flee to safer places.
Official sources said that panic gripped Hajipir sector near the LoC in Uri when loud explosions and heavy firing was heard since early this morning.
“Pakistani troops, violating ceasefire, fired mortar shells since early this morning, targeting forward posts and civilian areas,” an Army official said.
Locals said that during the intense shelling and heavy firing, a 47 year old woman Akhtera Begum wife of Zahoor Ahmad Chechi of Batgrah was killed and her husband was injured.
Another 35-year-old woman, identified as Parveena Begum wife of Shabir Ahmad Sheikh of Nambla also sustained injuries as splinters of a mortar shell hit her in the arm.
“The wounded woman and husband of slain woman were rushed to a hospital where their health condition is stated to be stable,” they added.
The heavy shelling caused panic in the villages Silikote, Hathlanga, Soura, Balkote, Tilawari, Churanda Nambla, Saidpora,Thajal,Batgarh, Garkote, Mothal and Balkote. People have started fleeing their villages early this morning in view of the cross LoC firing at regular intervals as several shells landed in residential areas, sources said.
Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Uri, DySP Junaid Wali confirmed the death of woman and injuries to two others in the cross border shelling.
“A woman was killed and two others injured in the shelling and fifteen families have been evacuated to safer places,” he said.
Sources said that people were seen taking shelter in bunkers as few vehicles and many residential houses suffered damage in the shelling.
“Our lives and property are at risk. We demand construction of underground bunkers and alternative land promised to us for residence as we are sandwiched between conflict of two nuclear nations, “said Lal Din Sarpanch of Churanda Uri.
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Uri, Reyaz Ahmad said that people fleeing from the LoC were kept in Government Girls Higher Secondary School Uri and so far about 18 families have been evacuated from Silkot and other adjoining villages to the safer places.
“We later shifted the affected families to NHPC Government quarters at Bandi Uri,” he added.
SDM said that satisfactory arrangements which include essential commodities and other requirements of life have been made for these families.
