3 civilians injured as Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in J-K's Poonch

Three civilians, including a woman and her baby, were injured on Sunday as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by resorting to intense mortar shelling and firing of small arms on forward posts and villages along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Several residential houses were also damaged in the cross-border firing by Pakistan, they said.

A police official said three civilians -- Mohammad Arif (40), Fatima Jan (35) and her about two-week-old son -- were injured when they were hit by splinters from mortar shells in Shahpur sector. The injured were rushed to hospital amid intense shelling, he said adding that the shelling in the sector started around 5 pm along with Saujiyan sector, while the firing from across the border also started in Mankote area of Mendhar sector around 8 pm.

Heavy firing was going on in all the three sectors and there are reports of some damage to civilian houses as well, the official said. Earlier, a defense spokesman said the Indian Army is retaliating befittingly to silence Pakistani guns.

"At about 1700 hours, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing of small arms and intense shelling with mortars along the LoC in Shahpur and Saujiyan sectors in Poonch district," Jammu-based Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Army Lt Col Devender Anand said. On July 22, an Indian soldier was killed in Pakistani firing in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, while a civilian was also injured in another incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Poonch sector on July 20.