Eight people, including women and children, were wounded on Wednesday as Indian troops resorted to "unprovoked" heavy shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

"Indian troops started shelling at around 6:30 am without any provocation," Senior Superintendent Police Chaudhry Zulqarnain Sarfraz said, adding that the soldiers "targeted civilians" in Kotli district's Nakyal sector.

"It was the heaviest incident of shelling," Sarfraz added.

Sarfraz said that the shelling had left eight persons wounded, some of whom are in critical condition.

The injured were transferred to different hospitals for treatment, Kolti District Headquarters Hospital Superintendent Dr Tariq Mehmood said.

Sarfraz identified the victims as Muhammad Nadeem (23) a resident of Mohra village, residents of Dariri Pir Kalanjar village Chaudhry Khursheed (40) his mother, Motiyan Begum (60) and 10-year-old daughter, a 12-year-old resident of Dothela Balakot village, Fayilat Begum (40) from Dharuti Mohra village, Muhammad Rafique (60) from Androt village and another 12-year-old from Dabsi Naar village.

The heavily militarised LoC has been witnessing sporadic skirmishes and artillery duels for quite some time.

On Saturday, two young children were killed while three others were wounded in an incident of cross-LoC firing by Indian troops.

On Sept 29, three people, including a soldier were killed and four others injured by heavy shelling across the LoC.