Elderly man killed in LoC violation in Nakyal sector of AJK

Published April 15, 2019
Indian firing largely conducted with small arms in parts of Nakyal and Goi sectors, but mortar shells were also lobbed. — AFP/File
Indian firing largely conducted with small arms in parts of Nakyal and Goi sectors, but mortar shells were also lobbed. — AFP/File

An elderly man was killed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir as Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing from across the Line of Control after midnight, officials told DawnNewsTV on Monday.

Shariq Talat, district disaster management officer in Kotli, said that Khan Muhammad, a 60-year-old man, was killed in Dabsi village of Nakyal sector where he had gone to attend a wedding ceremony.

“A bullet hit him in the neck, leaving him dead on the spot at about 1am,” he said, adding that all others at the wedding remained safe.

The deceased belonged to Fandyot village of neighbouring Goi sector.

Talat said that though the firing by Indian troops was largely with small arms and in parts of Nakyal and Goi sectors, they also lobbed some mortar shells.

No other casualties were reported, he added.

The heavily militarised LoC, which splits the disputed Himalayan region between the nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, has been tense for quite some time, particularly after a suicide attack on an Indian army convoy in Pulwama district in February.

The LoC had been relatively calm for the past one week, as the last casualty had occurred on April 9 when a 14-year old boy was injured in Jogal Pal village of Khuiratta sector in Kotli district.

According to Saeed Qureshi, a senior director at State Disaster Management Authority in Muzaffarabad, ceasefire violations by India have claimed the lives of 13 civilians – 8 males and 5 females – and five army personnel in AJK in the current year while 79 civilians – 49 males and 30 females – have sustained injuries.

Apart from the casualties, Qureshi said, at least 194 houses, one mosque, two school buildings, three cattle sheds and five vehicles have been partially damaged while 12 houses and 2 shops have been completely damaged in Indian shelling in different areas of AJK.

Opinion

Editorial

Rain havoc
19 Jul, 2025

Rain havoc

MOTHER Nature is once more in an unforgiving mood. A heavy monsoon spell on Thursday claimed over 60 lives and left...
Shattered Strip
19 Jul, 2025

Shattered Strip

THE Gaza siege has now crossed 650 days and the situation continues to take one ugly turn after another. True, even...
Battling drugs
19 Jul, 2025

Battling drugs

PAKISTAN’s war on drug trafficking has been ongoing for several years. But the country remains awash in the ...
Soaring again
Updated 18 Jul, 2025

Soaring again

The lifting of the ban by the UK will lead to several welcome developments.
Terror in Kalat
18 Jul, 2025

Terror in Kalat

THE unrest in Balochistan is increasingly taking on an ugly and dangerous colour, with repeated, indiscriminate...
Economic exclusion
18 Jul, 2025

Economic exclusion

FOR all the progress made in Pakistan towards the inclusion of women across the sociopolitical divide, comprehensive...