Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Three civilians including a minor boy and a woman were killed in intense shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara today, police said.
Police officials told NVI that the Pakistani army resorted to intense shelling as mortar shells landed in the residential areas that fall under two police stations of Kupwara district.
“Three civilians including a minor and a woman got killed in the Pakistani shelling,” a police officer said, requesting anonymity. He said two deceased civilians including the woman belong to Chowkkibal and the minor is from Timuna Vilgam village of Kupwara.
Police sources said that this afternoon, Pakistani rangers resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation (CFV) triggering fresh fear among the local population. “The Pakistan army fired mortar shells some of which landed on the residential houses,” they said.
They said that many mortar shells landed in villages that include Hajitara, Dhani, Chowkibal and Timuna-Vilgam. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, Shriram Ambarkar told NVI that three civilians have died in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan.
“The evacuation process is underway and people are being moved to safer places,” he said. When asked if residential houses were also damaged in the shelling by Pakistani army, he said some houses have got damaged but there is no exact number.
Defence spokesperson in Srinagar, Colonel Rajesh Kalia told NVI that unprovoked ceasefire violation was initiated by Pakistan in Keran (Kupwara) sector at 5 pm. “Pakistan now targeting civilian population in Kupwara sector near the LoC resulting in killing of three innocent civilians including one woman and a child,” he said.
There has been an intense exchange of firing between Indian and Pakistani soldiers in the district, after a deadly encounter between militants and the Army at Keran sector a few days ago, that left five militants and five soldiers from Special Forces Squad dead. Residents of Kupwara told NVI that that shelling intensified in the afternoon and many mortar shells rained on the residential houses killing three persons including a woman and a minor.
Police have identified the three deceased as eight-year-old boy Ziya from Timuna-Vilgam village, 18-year-old Javeed Khan from Chowkibal and 37-year-old woman Shameema Begum from Chowkibal. A police official said that a case has been registered while the assessment of damage is being ascertained.
