On Diwali eve, Pak shells villages along LoC, infant girl among 8 civilians injured

JAMMU: Eight civilians, including a two- year-old girl, were injured on Wednesday when Pakistani troops shelled civilian hamlets and forward posts in Balakote and Manjakote sectors along the Line of Control in the Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Army and police sources said the Pakistani army today targeted civilian areas with heavy firing and shelling spread across the 18 forward villages near the LoC with heavy fire in Mankote and Balakote areas of Poonch and Manjakote of Rajouri, resulting in injuries to eight civilians.
"The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked shelling and indiscriminate firing in Poonch and Rajouri districts from 7.30 AM today", an official said, adding, "They used mortars, automatics and small arms.
Some cattle were killed. Three private vehicles and an electric transformer were damaged in the shelling," police sources said.
The ceasefire violation comes barely hours after India showing a goodwill gesture while repatriating a Pakistan national with Diwali gifts who was apprehended after venturing to this side inadvertently from Octrai Post, on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday.
Of the eight shelling victims of Wednesday, four people, including 3 labourers and a woman, were injured in Poonch whereas four other civilians, including the 2-year-old girl, were injured in Manajakote in the Rajouri district, officials said.
The injured have been identified as Ayaz Ahmed son of Shadam Khan of village Darati and he was referred to Government District Hospital in Rajouri.
Other injured have been identified as Tariq Mehamoo son of Abdul Hussain resident of village darati Balakot, Urmeela, wife of Pappu of village Chatarpur, Madya Pradesh, Bishu, son of Shambu Ram of village Katti in district Udhampur, Kusam, wife of Rakesh Kumar of village Chatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, all of them presently working as labourers in Sandote, Balakot.
"Own troops strongly and effectively retaliated, leading to heavy exchange of fire which continued till noon," sources added.
Wednesday's border shelling came a day after Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said New Delhi wanted cordial and peaceful relations with its neighbours including Islamabad.
He said India had taken many initiatives to ensure that both Islamabad and New Delhi co-exist in an atmosphere of peace and mutual trust.
"We expect reciprocity to our repeated overtures of friendship and goodwill to Pakistan," he said at Hussainiwala in Punjab.
Even last week, the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing in the Bhimber Gali sector along the LoC, deliberately targeting villages of Basauni and Sandot in the Balakote area resulting in injuries to two children and two teenagers.
On October 13, the Pakistan Army had violated the ceasefire in the Krishnagati sector along LoC.
A day before that, an army jawan and a porter were killed and six others injured when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and resorted to shelling on the forward areas along the LoC in the Poonch district.
The year 2017 has seen a sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan.