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Locals told businessline that Poonch city and the villages of Jhulas, Qazi Mohra, Banpat, Qasba, and Kirini were the worst affected
At least 10 civilians were killed and 45 injured in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector after Pakistan launched heavy shelling across the Line of Control (LoC), officials said.
Hundreds of residents along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) were evacuated to safer zones as the cross-border shelling began shortly after the Indian armed forces carried out targeted strikes on nine terrorist camps of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Locals told businessline that Poonch city and the villages of Jhulas, Qazi Mohra, Banpat, Qasba, and Kirini were the worst affected.
“The sound of heavy artillery shelling echoed through the area for nearly eight hours, sending people into a state of panic,” said Mohammad Yousuf, a resident. He added that the bombardment left many civilians dead.
Official sources confirmed that at least 10 people, including a minor, were killed and around 45 others were injured in the shelling. They are: Mohd Adil, Saleem Hussain, Ruby Kour, Mohd Zain, Mohd Akram, Amrik Singh, Ranjit Singh, Zoya Khan, Mohd Rafi and Mohd Iqbal.
A shell fired from Pakistan landed just behind Christ School in Poonch, hitting the home of two students of the school who also lost their lives, and their parents were severely injured, Bishop Pereira said. According to him, another shell struck a convent of nuns.
Poonch MLA Aijaz Ahmed Jan said this was the first time in recent memory that shelling had continued for such a prolonged period. He also said that extensive damage had been caused to livestock and that nearly 75 per cent of the city’s population had fled to safer areas.
Cross-border shelling was also reported in several villages of Rajouri district. However, no casualties were reported. Budhal MLA Javed Iqbal said that a shell struck a shopping complex in Thandi Kassi village but did not cause any damage.
Shelling in Kashmir
In the Kashmir Valley, heavy shelling was reported in the Uri and Karnah sectors. A local resident from Uri said the shelling began around 2:30 am and continued until 6:00 am. He said that 8 to 10 people suffered injuries.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said he was closely monitoring the situation. “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 border districts. I am closely monitoring the situation, and the government is fully prepared to deal with any eventuality,” he said in a post on X.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also chaired a high-level meeting with Deputy Commissioners of all border districts to review the government’s preparedness. He directed the immediate release of ₹5 crore to each border district and ₹2 crore to other districts to equip District Collectors with the resources needed to respond to emergencies.
With inputs from Delhi Bureau
Published on May 7, 2025
This article first appeared on The Hindu Business Line
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