Three civilians were killed in overnight heavy firing and shelling by Pakistan military across the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said on Wednesday.
The Indian Army is responding to the shelling in equal measure, they said on the ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces after India carried missile strikes against nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
During the intervening night of May 6 and 7, the Pakistan Army resorted to arbitrary firing, including artillery shelling, from posts across the LoC and IB opposite Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said.
Three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing and shelling by Pakistan, they said.
Among the deceased was a woman whose house was hit by a mortar shell in Mankote area of Poonch district, officials said. Her 13-year-old daughter was injured.
They said nine more civilians were also injured in different sectors of Poonch due to intense shelling by Pakistan, and their condition was stated to be stable.
Authorities have ordered that all educational institutions in the five border districts of the Jammu region will remain closed on Wednesday.
"In view of the prevailing situation, all schools, colleges and educational institutions in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch will remain closed today," Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said on X.
Besides Mankote, heavy shelling from across the border was reported in Krishna Ghati and Shahpur sectors in Poonch, Laam, Manjakote and Gambeer Brahmana in Rajouri district in Jammu region and Karnah and Uri sectors in north Kashmir's Kupwara and Baramulla districts.
Indian security forces guarding the border also retaliated and the cross-border shelling between the two sides was going on when the last reports were received, officials said, adding the Pakistani shelling forced the people to take refuge in underground bunkers.
This was the 13th consecutive night of unprovoked firing along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir, amid heightened tensions following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
In retaliation against the horrific massacre, Indian armed forces carried out missile attacks early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Bahawalpur which is a major base of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit.
The military strikes were carried out under 'Operation Sindoor', the Indian Army said in a statement released at 1.44 am.
"Pakistan again violates the Ceasefire Agreement by firing artillery in Bhimber Gali in Poonch- Rajauri area. Indian Army is responding appropriately in a calibrated manner," the additional directorate general of public information (ADGPI) of the Indian Army wrote on X.
The ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border (IB) have been very rare after India and Pakistan renewed the ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021.
Since the night of April 24, just hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following a terror attack in Pahalgam, Pakistani troops have been resorting to unprovoked firing at various places along the LoC in J&K, starting from the Kashmir Valley.
Initially beginning with unprovoked small arms firing at several posts along the LoC in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir, Pakistan swiftly expanded its ceasefire violations to the Poonch sector and subsequently to the Akhnoor sector of the Jammu region.
This was followed by small arms firing at several posts along the LoC in the Sunderbani and Naushera sectors of Rajouri district. Subsequently, the firing spread to the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district.
Meanwhile, a powerful explosion was also heard in Panthiyal sub-division in Ramban district, but its exact cause was not known immediately, the officials said.
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