More than 700 people residing in the border villages shifted to shelter camps in Nowshera sector as heavy shelling continues
Line of Control (LoC) has become the Line of Conflict as Pakistan army pounded Indian forward posts and civilian areas, leaving two persons dead and three others injured in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district of Jammu.
More than 150 people have been rescued from the vulnerable villages and brought to the shelter camps. Hundreds of people are still put up in the villages as heavy cross-border shelling is hampering their rescue.
Schools and educational institutions have been closed within two kilometres from LoC and two higher secondary schools in Nowshera have been converted into the shelter camps to house the fleeing border villagers.
"Two persons died and three others were injured when a Pakistan shell landed near a residential house in Jhanger village," Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, deputy commissioner of Rajouri, told DNA.
The shelling resumed in the Nowshera sector early morning on Saturday when Pakistani forces used heavy calibre long range weapons including 120 mm mortars, which has a range of seven kilometres, and 82 mm mortars, having range of 4.5 kilometres, to inflict maximum damage deep into the civilian areas near the LoC.
More than eight villages out of 26 vulnerable hamlets situated on the LoC are worst affected by the cross-border shelling. "Pakistani army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars in Naushera sector," said Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta, defence spokesman at Jammu.
Indian troops responded in equal measure to silence the Pakistan guns. "The Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing is presently on," said Lieutenant Colonel Mehta.
Fear gripped the villages situated on the LoC as cross border shelling has intensified for the last few days. Authorities have set up shelter camps to house the border villagers. "Around 150 people (from border villages) are in the camps. Shelling is on and once it subsides we will bring more people," said Chaudhary.
This is the second time in the last four days when Pakistan has resorted to heavy shelling on civilian areas. On Wednesday Pakistan shelling left a woman dead and her husband critically injured in Naushera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu division. On Friday, a tractor driver was injured when Pakistan rangers opened fire on the BSF party in Arnia sector of International Border.
The fresh shelling has come 13 days after Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan army badly mutilated the bodies of two soldiers after they violated the sanctity of the Line of Control (LoC) and crossed into the Indian Territory at Krishna Ghati sub-sector of Poonch district in Jammu division on May 1.
Official figures reveal there were 228 incidents of ceasefire violation along LoC and 221 incidents of ceasefire violation along the International border in 2016. Thirteen civilians were killed and 83 others were injured while eight army personnel were killed and 74 others were injured. Five BSF personnel were also killed and 25 others also injured in these incidents.
In 2017 till February, there were 22 incidents of ceasefire violation along the LoC and six incidents on the International Border
Official figures reveal in 2015 around 405 incidents of cross-border firing have taken place along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir killing 26 people including 16 civilians, six Army men and four BSF men. Of which 253 incidents of cross border firing have taken place along the International Border and 152 incidents along the Line of Control.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "shelling")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}