MUZAFFARABAD: One woman died and another suffered injuries when Indian troops targeted civilian population in two areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday, officials said.

Raja Mahmood Shahid, deputy commissioner of Neelum, told Dawn that indiscriminate shelling by Indian troops began at about 8:50am and continued till 2pm intermittently, during which they targeted civilian population in Athmuqam and surrounding hamlets.

A mortar shell landed in the courtyard of a house in Bugna village, killing Sajida Bibi, a 35-year-old mother of six, he said.

The deputy commissioner confirmed the death after visiting the grieving family, which he handed over a cheque for Rs300,000 on behalf of the government.

According to him, Pakistani forces gave a “befitting response to the unprovoked shelling by Indian forces”.

Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, the media affairs wing of the Pakistan armed forces, said in a tweet, “Indian Army continues nonprofessional conduct. Besides atrocities in IOK, violating ceasefire targeted civil population in Shahkot sector across LOC. A woman shaheed another injured. Such acts can’t suppress indigenous freedom struggle of brave Kashmiris in IOK”.

Elsewhere, 35-years-old Parveen Bibi was injured after being hit by a shrapnel from a mortar shell in Nali village of Barnala, said Sardar Khalid, deputy commissioner of Bhimber.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2019