MUZAFFARABAD: A soldier and a young civilian were martyred and another 14 civilians injured as a result of unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian troops from across the Line of Control (LoC), officials said on Thursday.

“Indian Army troops resorted to ceasefire violation in Baroh and Chirikot sectors along [the] LoC. [As a result] Sepoy Naimat Wali embraced shahadat,” said a statement of Inter-ervices Public Relations (ISPR), the media affairs wing of the Pakistan Army.

Chirikot sector is located in Azad Jammu and Kash­mir’s (AJK) Haveli district.

In response, the ISPR said, Pakistan Army targeted Indian posts, damaging them substantially.

There were reports of casualties of Indian troops, the ISPR claimed.

It was believed that the soldier was martyred on Wednesday evening and two civilians — 50-year-old Perveen Akhtar and her 15-year-old daughter Saba Tariq — were also injured in Seerhiyan village of Chirikot sector.

On Thursday, Neza Pir sector of Haveli district came under heavy Indian shelling from 3pm to 6pm, and as a result two women — Naseeb Jan, 40, and Robina Bibi, 16, — were injured in Chahjal Bala and Kairni villages, respectively, police official Khalid Mahmood told Dawn from the area.

Also on Thursday, Indian army resorted to “unprovoked” shelling in Neelum district after sunset, which left an 8-year-old boy Faizan Mir martyred and his parents, Fayaz Mir and Zahida Bibi, injured in Changan Seri village, said Akhtar Ayub, disaster management officer based in district headquarters Athmuqam, adding that their house was burnt to ashes.

Another six people were injured in main Changan village along Neelum valley road.

They were identified as Mohammad Din, his spouse Asiya Bibi and children Asad Mir and Anjum Bibi; Khalid Mir, Habibullah Mir and Malik Tufail.

The houses of Moham­mad Din and Malik Tufail were destroyed, he said.

Mr Ayub said that as shelling in Neelum valley was continuing, casualties were feared to increase.

In Poonch district, three people were injured in Tetrinote village of tehsil Hajira. They were identified as Ajmal, 55, Sughra, 15, and Zahira, 13.

Two houses, owned by Chaudhry Mohammad Hussain and Mohammad Shafi, were also damaged by the Indian shelling.

An official in Abbaspur tehsil of Poonch district said intermittent shelling was going on in his area as well, but immediately there were no reports of casualties.

Condemning the fresh ceasefire violations by Indian troops, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider said Indian army had crossed all limits of “shamelessness and cowardliness”.

“Hardly anywhere in the world exists such an army that derives pleasure from shooting unarmed men, women and children while they are busy in their normal life [along the LoC],” he said.

“Escalations along the ceasefire line are aimed at diverting world attention from occupied Jammu and Kashmir which is under lockdown for over two months,” Mr Haider said.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2019