Line of Control Ceasefire Thunder: Tensions Reignited Amid Cross-Border Shelling

In a dramatic escalation of hostility, at least 12 people, including four children, have died and 57 others were injured following heavy shelling by the Pakistan Army on forward villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The cross-border artillery fire erupted after Indian armed forces targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

The most severe impact was felt in Poonch district, where all civilian fatalities occurred amidst widespread panic. Local residents, shaken by the indiscriminate shelling, were forced to flee to underground bunkers or safer areas, while educational institutions across five border districts were closed as a precautionary measure.

This marks the 13th consecutive night of unprovoked firing since the Pahalgam attack. Despite a renewed ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan in 2021, the ongoing tensions have highlighted the fragility of peace along the LoC, with forces on both sides engaged in an intense exchange of fire.

(With inputs from agencies.)