Poonch sector across Line of Control, J&K. (Source: Google Maps) Poonch sector across Line of Control, J&K. (Source: Google Maps)

Pakistani troops used even heavy calibre weapons to target forward Indian positions and civilians on Saturday afternoon injuring three women among five along the Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch districts.

Sources said the victims hailed from Shahpur-Qasba area comprising nearly half a dozen villages and were getting ready for lunch after Eid prayers when shells started landing within their vicinity. Three of them have been identified as Rubina Kousar, Begum Jan and Parveen Akhtar. The shelling from across the LoC started with Pakistani troops targeting three forward Indian positions around 1.45 pm.

Later, they resorted to the use of even heavy calibre weapons with their shells landing in villages across Shahpur-Qasba area. Some of the shells fell in the Shahpur village injuring five civilians.

The area is predominantly inhabited by Muslims and it also has the shrine of Sain Mira, a Muslim peer revered most by both Muslims and Hindus in Rajouri-Poonch districts.

The Indian Army retaliated, but exercised restraint by using only the small calibre weapons. The exchange of fire between the two sides was continuing till reports last came in.

SSP Poonch, J S Johar, confirmed that Pakistani shells have landed in residential areas of Shahpur-Qasba along the LoC. Pointing out that firing by Pakistan troops was still going on, he said that the police teams will go to the area once it stops.

Pointing out that this was the sixth ceasefire violation by Pakistan over the last three days, sources said the LoC in Jammu region had become hot since Friday night when Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on forward Indian posts in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district around 9.25 pm.

As a fall out of the increased hostilities between the two sides over the last few days, there was no exchange of sweets on the occasion of Eid between India and Pakistan both along the international border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

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