Two civilians, including a 14-year-old girl, were killed and five others injured as Pakistani troops resorted to 120 mm and 80 mm mortar shelling at various places along the Line of Control in Nowshera sector on Saturday morning. Four army soldiers and a civilian woman were among the injured.

Identifying the deceased as Tufail Hussain, 50, and Afiya, 14, sources said that mortar shells were falling in Baba Khori, Kalsiyan, Jhanghar, Makri and Tarya areas. Tufail’s wife Jaitoon Begum was injured. The couple were sitting outside their house in Jhanghar area when a mortar shell fell nearby. Afiya hailed from Mendhar and she had come to the house of her relatives in the area.

     Earlier, the armies of India and Pakistan on Saturday again exchanged heavy fire and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir. The exchange of shelling took place in Baba Khori and other areas.

    A Defense official said that Pakistani troops used 120 mm mortar shells. “The Indian troops also retaliated effectively,” he said.

    Dozens of families have migrated to safer places from forward areas of Jhanger Nowshera because of the firing and shelling that have been going on intermittently during past few days.

     On Thursday a woman was killed in Nowshera Sector of Rajouri region while on Friday a BSF trooper was wounded after Pakistani Rangers resorted to indiscriminate firing.

    Meanwhile, authorities ordered immediate closure of all the educational institutions in border belts of Rajouri district due to the ongoing firing and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC).

Chief Education Officer Rajouri has directed closure of all the educational institutions falling within two-kilometres from the LoC in the district on Saturday.

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