The Line of Control (LoC) witnessed a tragic escalation of violence as five Pakistani civilians were killed and over a dozen injured following unprovoked shelling by the Indian Army. The attacks targeted multiple sectors of the Poonch division, including Rawalakot, Hajira, Neelum Valley, and Kotli, with civilian areas bearing the brunt of the aggression.
Pakistani officials confirmed that four individuals, including a young girl, were killed in the Khoirta sector of Kotli district while over ten others sustained injuries. The injured were rushed to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Kotli for urgent medical care.
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Among the casualties, 22-year-old Osama Ishrat from Rawalakot tragically lost his life just days after his wedding. His two sisters also sustained injuries during the attack. The nearby town of Hajira reported further casualties, with three people wounded in the unprovoked artillery fire.
Neelum Valley entered its third consecutive day of violations, with Indian forces targeting civilian zones across Shahkot, Jura, Athmaqam, and other areas. Pakistani forces responded with retaliatory fire, silencing multiple Indian positions. Mortar shells severely damaged a Nadra office in Kiel and injured a youth in the Upper Kiel area. Emergency measures were initiated at DHQ Hospital in Athmaqam to address the rising number of injured civilians.
Authorities have raised concerns about the use of “toy bombs” reportedly spread by the Indian Army along the LoC, urging locals to avoid any unidentified objects and exercise caution.
The conflict escalated further when Pakistani forces shot down an Indian quadcopter in the Baghsar area of Azad Kashmir’s Samahani sector in an attempt to counter ongoing surveillance activities.
The violence underscores heightened tensions along the LoC and the growing toll of civilian suffering in the region.
