Shelling kills woman in Bhimbher

Published May 21, 2002

MUZAFFARABAD, May 20: A woman was killed and her daughter was critically injured as Indian troops shelled villages in the southern Bhimbher district of Azad Kashmir on Monday evening, an official said.

Indian troops resumed shelling in Chamb sector at 8.30pm, using small and big arms, deputy commissioner Bhimbher Fayyaz Ali Abbasi told Dawn by telephone.

He said a shell landed in a house in Balewal village, killing 60-year-old Ghulam Bibi, widow of Nur Hussain and injuring her daughter, Perveen Akhtar, 22.

“Shelling is continuing in the area, intermittently,” the DC said, adding, “no further losses could be ascertained immediately.” Earlier in the day, the Indian troops resorted to shelling in Samahni sector of the same district for more than one hour, but Mr Abbasi said no losses were reported from there.

Three men had died and eight others were wounded in Samahni sector while a woman was killed and five others wounded in Chamb sector earlier on Sunday.

A military spokesman told Dawn from Islamabad that the Indian troops had also resorted to unprovoked shelling in Neelum valley villages on Monday, but added that immediately there were no reports on any losses. Pakistani troops had retaliated the fire.