Srinagar, May 7: As many as seven civilians were killed and 38 others were injured on Wednesday after the Pakistan Army fired mortar shells without warning along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
In response, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha ordered people living in danger zones to be moved to safer places.
Taking to his official ‘X’ handle, Sinha wrote, "Took stock of the situation in border districts of J&K UT with all the senior administrative, police and district officials including DCs of all the border districts. I'm closely monitoring the situation and govt is fully prepared to deal with any eventuality. I've also directed the DCs for shifting of villagers from vulnerable areas to safer locations and ensuring boarding, lodging, food, medicare and transportation. We will ensure safety of every citizen.”
According to officials, seven people including a woman and two children were killed, and 38 others sustained injuries after the Pakistan Army fired heavy artillery and mortar shells at several villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said the Indian Army is responding strongly to the shelling, following ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces. This comes after India launched missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
All seven people who died were from Poonch district, which was hit the hardest, officials said. Twenty-five others were also injured there. In Baramulla district’s Uri sector, 10 people were injured, and three more were hurt in Rajouri district.
These incidents happened after India carried out 'Operation Sindoor', striking terrorist bases at nine locations in Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Pakistan began shelling in the Uri and Kupwara areas of the Kashmir Valley, as well as in Poonch and Rajouri districts of the Jammu region.
According to the Ministry of Defence, Indian soldiers are giving a strong response to Pakistan’s ceasefire violations. The missile strikes on terrorist bases began at around 1:44 a.m. today, hitting nine locations at the same time.
The Defence Ministry said that no military sites were targeted in the missile strikes, and the strikes were done without entering Pakistan's airspace.
All civilian flights from Srinagar airport have been stopped for the day. Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions have also been closed in three districts of the Kashmir Valley and five districts in the Jammu region.
