Escalating Tensions: Unforgettable Artillery Onslaught Along LoC

In a dramatic escalation of tensions, intense artillery and mortar shelling by the Pakistan Army claimed 13 lives, including four children and an Indian soldier, and wounded 57 people along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, officials confirmed. The shelling came as retaliation to recent Indian missile strikes on terror infrastructure in neighboring territories.

As the shelling destroyed homes, vehicles, and public buildings, including a Gurudwara, hundreds of residents took refuge in underground bunkers or fled to safer areas. Poonch and Rajouri districts in the Jammu region, and Baramulla and Kupwara in north Kashmir, were among the hardest hit. Indian officials reported that their forces destroyed several Pakistani posts and caused casualties in retaliatory actions.

This intense shelling marks the first such escalation since India and Pakistan renewed their ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021. Civilian casualties have prompted leaders like Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to condemn the attack, while local authorities in Poonch have set up shelters for evacuees seeking safety amidst the ongoing turmoil.

(With inputs from agencies.)