Civilian martyred, three wounded in India border fire

One civilian was martyred and three others were injured when India targeted civilian areas in Azad Kashmir from across the Line of Control (LoC), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.

The army said Indian troops had resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations in the Rakhchikri and Khanjar sectors along the LoC, targeting civilians with rockets and mortars in Tari Band and Samahni villages.

“One citizen embraced shahadat; three civilians, including two women, got injured,” added the ISPR. “Pakistan Army responded effectively targeting Indian Army posts.”

On September, an 11-year-old girl was martyred due to unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian troops in the Hotsprings and Rakhchikri sectors. The ISPR said four civilians, including a 75-year-old woman and two young boys, also got injured.

Earlier, the Foreign Office had said India has “been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons” along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB).

It said India has committed over 2,150 ceasefire violations in 2020, terming them “egregious violations of international law” that were part of New Delhi’s “consistent attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC” and a threat to regional peace and security.

Pakistan has been consistently summoning senior Indian diplomats to register its strong protests over New Delhi’s CFVs along the LoC that often result in serious injuries to and martyrdom of innocent civilians.