13 die as Pak shells villages along LoC, army retaliates

At least 12 civilians and a soldier were killed and another 42 people injured in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district as the Pakistan army resorted to intense artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LOC) early on Wednesday, triggering panic among local residents and distress evacuations from border villages and hamlets.

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria and Mir Ehsan

The shelling came hours after Indian forces carried out precision strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people two weeks ago.

Poonch chief medical officer Dr Parvaiz Khan confirmed the 12 civilian casualties. A senior police officer in Poonch said four children aged between seven and 14 years, two of whom were siblings, were among the deceased.

Nagrota-based White Knight Corps said Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar of 5 Field Regiment Royal Artillery was also killed in Pakistan shelling. "GOC and all ranks of White Knight Corps salute the supreme sacrifice of L/Nk Dinesh Kumar of 5 Fd Regt," it posted on X.

The Indian Army said it was responding in an effective and appropriate manner.

The indiscriminate shelling created panic among the border residents who were forced to take refuge in underground bunkers or shift to safer places within or outside their villages. The shelling was reported from Balakot, Mendhar, Mankote, Sagra, Krishna Ghati, Gulpur, Kerni and even Poonch district headquarters, resulting in damage to dozens of houses.

The deceased civilians include Balvinder Kour or Ruby of Mankote, Mohammed Zain or Ayan of Poonch, his sister Zoya Khan of Mandi, Mohammed Akram of Sukka Katha, Amreek Singh, Ranjeet Singh and Amarjeet Singh of Sandigate, Mohammedd Rafi of Bandichechian, Mohammedd Iqbal of Baila, Shakeela Bi of Bhainch Dalera, Maryam Khatoon of Qazi Mohra and Vihaan Bhargav of Dungus, he said.

"Out of the 42 injured, four have been referred to GMC Jammu for specialised treatment.