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Two teenagers were killed and three other civilians were injured in Azad Jammu and Kashmir when Indian troops resorted to "unprovoked" shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Jandrot and Hot-spring sectors early Monday morning, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
ISPR, in a statement, announced that the firing resulted in the death of two teenagers, Waqar Younas and Asad Ali.
"Injured include Muhammad Shahbaz, aged 30, resident of Bhabra, Shumaila Khurshid, aged 35, and Hafsa Shabbir, aged 14, [both of whom are] residents of Chakrali village," the statement said.
According to the ISPR, "The Pakistan Army responded effectively to the firing on civilians and there are reports of damage to Indian posts and casualties."
The casualties occurred in Tatta Pani sector of southern Kotli district where shelling began after 5:45 am, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chaudhry Zulqarnain Sarfraz said.
"Indian troops started [shelling] without any provocation, and also targeted the civilian populations," the SSP told Dawn.
He added that Asad, 19, died after being hit by the splinters of a shell in Bhabra village whereas Waqar, 18, was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries at DHQ Kotli.
Another teenager, Shabaz, 17 was critically injured in Hillan village, he added.
"The shelling has stopped now, but who knows when they (Indians) will resume it again," the SSP said.
A Tatta Pani based journalist told this correspondent by telephone that Indian shelling was "intense" but Pakistani troops "effectively" responded to it.
"In fact Indian guns fell silent after a befitting response from our troops," said Sardar Mohammad Javed.
Read: India may be seeking conflict with Pakistan, warns FO
An elderly resident of AJK was killed in cross-LoC firing, last week.
Shabbir Khan, in his late sixties, was doing some household work in the courtyard of his house when Indian troops hit him with a burst of fire.
Since January, India has committed more than 400 ceasefire violations along the LoC, leaving several civilians dead or wounded and surpassing last year's total of 382, officials say.
The deaths have pushed the death toll in Indian shelling to 11 since January, while over 65 have sustained injuries.
FO lodges protest with India
The Foreign Office summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh to lodge a protest against and condemn "unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces" in Chirikot and Hot Spring sectors on June 10 and 12.
Director General South Asia and SAARC Dr. Mohammad Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Arrangement, investigate current and previous incidents of ceasefire violations, and instruct Indian forces to respect the ceasefire agreement in letter and spirit and maintain peace along the LoC.
The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed condemnable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws, the FO said.
Tense relations
Incidents of cross-border firing have become a norm since the last months of 2016 as tensions simmer between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir issue.
Following the Uri army base attack in September, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up a drive to 'isolate' Pakistan diplomatically.
In the days following the attack, India claimed to have conducted a cross-border 'surgical strike' against 'launch pads of terror' in Azad Jammu and Kashmir — a claim Pakistan strongly rejected.
Pakistan maintains that India has been attempting to divert the world's attention away from atrocities committed by government forces in India-held Kashmir.
Tensions between the two countries soared recently as India approached the International Court of Justice to secure consular access for Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan over his involvement in espionage and terrorism.
In a hearing of the case on May 18, a 10-member bench at The Hague restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav, who India claims is a retired naval officer.
