MUZAFFARABAD: As many as four civilians, including a toddler, were injured in two districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday in unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian Army from across the Line of Control (LoC), officials said.

Rabia Kosar, 32, wife of Muhammad Shakil, and Maria Hameed, aged two, daughter of Abdul Hameed, were injured in Darra Sher Khan village of Battal sector in Poonch district, after the Indian Army resorted to firing “with small and heavy calibre arms without any provocation” at about 6am, according to police official Ilyas Ahmed.

Both victims had been shifted to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in the neighbouring Kotli district where condition of Kosar was stated to be critical, he added.

The official said that villagers had also suffered material losses during the enemy shelling but its details could not be ascertained.

In Kotli district, Munshi, 65, son of Rukan Din was injured in Goi Barmoch village of Goi sector and Nasreen Akhtar, 25, wife of Ali Akbar, was injured in Sandhara village of Nakyal sector, said local Dr Umer Azam, deputy commissioner of Kotli.

They had also been removed to the DHQ hospital, he added.

The heavily militarised LoC has been frequently witnessing ceasefire violations in a serious breach of November 2003 truce agreement.

Residents claimed shelling also began in the upper belt of Neelum Valley late Tuesday evening but there were no reports of any losses as yet.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2020