MUZAFFARABAD: A minor girl who was injured during Indian shelling in a village of district Kotli late last month died in a health facility on Thursday, pushing the civilian death toll due to ceasefire violations by the Indian army in the current year to 30, officials said.

Seven-year-old Hoorain, daughter of Mohammad Irfan, was among 11 participants of a wedding ceremony, who were injured after a mortar shell landed in a house located in the proximity of the restive Line of Control in Janjot Bahadur village of Seri Khuiratta sector, at the outset of unexpected Indian shelling on Nov 22.

Hoorain’s family, related to the hosts, had come from Islamgarh town of neighbouring Mirpur district to attend the wedding and her mother and five-year-old sister were among the injured.

From District Headquarters Hospital, Kotli, where she was provided preliminary treatment, she was referred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi, the same afternoon for specialised treatment, said DHQ Kotli medical superintendent Dr Nasrullah Sadiq.

Hoorain underwent a complex surgery in CMH and appeared to have recovered until last week when she went into a coma and died at about 4am on Thursday, Dr Sadiq said.

Assistant Commissioner of Khuiratta Syed Naseem Abbas told Dawn that the funeral was held in Islamgarh at about 1pm following which she was laid to rest in a local graveyard.

According to Syed Shahid Mohyiddin Qadri, secretary for civil defence and disaster management, Hoorain was the 30th civilian in AJK to have died at the hands of savage Indian troops during the year.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2020