MUZAFFARABAD: A man and his son lost their lives in Neelum valley and a minor girl was wounded in Kotli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in heavy Indian shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) on Thursday, officials said.

In the Neelum valley, Indian troops started firing in the afternoon, targeting areas between Jura village in the lower belt and Lala village in the upper belt.

“Indian troops used both small and heavy arms and the shelling was intense,” said Raja Mahmood Shahid, Deputy Commissioner of Neelum.

As a result, Gul Zareen, in his mid forties, and his 12-year-old son Sultan were killed in Lala village, he said.

Initial reports suggested that some people had also suffered injuries, but Mr Shahid told Dawn from district headquarters hospital in Athmuqam that no injured person had been brought there by evening.

He, however, said that two houses had suffered partial damage.

In Kotli district, Iqra, a four-year-old daughter of Mohammad Aftab, was injured in Jagal Pal village in Seri Khuiratta sector due to Indian firing, a police official told Dawn from Kotli.

The heavily militarised LoC is witnessing frequent ceasefire violations by Indian troops which have claimed many civilian lives.

On Oct 20, six civilians were killed and another 10 injured in Jura and Shahkot sectors of Neelum valley and the adjoining Nauseri sector of Muzaffarabad district.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2019