Trepidation at Ground Zero of Pak shelling

Pakistani artillery and mortar fire along the Line of Control (LoC) left 16 civilians dead, including three women and five children, forcing an exodus from Jammu and Kashmir's border district of Poonch.

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

JAMMU: Pakistani artillery and mortar fire along the Line of Control (LoC) left 16 civilians dead, including three women and five children, forcing an exodus from Jammu and Kashmir's border district of Poonch.

The devastating bombardment—described by locals as the heaviest in decades—intensified on Wednesday, hours after Indian armed forces conducted airstrikes on nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor, the external affairs ministry confirmed on Thursday.

"Over 200 mortar shells were fired in the town," said Ajay Maini, 49, a government school teacher in Poonch. "Even the elders say they have never seen Pakistan firing so many mortars on Poonch, not even during the 1971 war. Then, Pakistan targeted military installations, while this time they have savagely targeted innocent civilians."

The unprovoked shelling, which has continued for weeks in violation of the bilateral ceasefire agreement, claimed the life of 13-year-old Vihaan Bhargav when a Pakistani mortar struck his family's Maruti Swift at Bhainch on NH144-A.