MUZAFFARABAD: A woman and a teenage boy were killed and six other people suffered injuries when Indian forces resorted to unprovoked shelling on the eve of Kashmir Day in two districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday.

“Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing in Nezapir sector targeting civilian population. A citizen embraced shahadat while 2 children [were] injured,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations, the public affairs wing of the Pakistan army, in a statement.

Pakistan Army responded effectively targeting the Indian posts from where shells came, it added.

Kashif Hussain, the deputy commissioner of Haveli district, told Dawn that the shelling began at about 11am and continued till 4pm.

“Indians used both small and heavy weapons but got a befitting response from our side,” he said.

Mr Hussain said a 16-year-old boy — Rafaqat, son of Zakir — was herding cattle in Akhori Bala village when he fell victim to shelling and lost his life.

In Kairni village of the same sector, 8-year-old Usama and his 7-year-old sister Mavia were injured and shifted to a military-run health facility in Forward Kahuta, he added.

In Kotli district, Indian troops fired mortar shells at Tarkundi, Plani and Kalar Galla villages of Nakyal sector at about 4pm “without any provocation, targeting unarmed and innocent civilian populations,” said Nakyal Assistant Commissioner Waleed Anwar.

A 25-year-old woman, identified as Tasleem Begum, daughter of Mohammad Sadiq, was killed in Plani village, he said.

Her 27-year-old namesake, Tasleem Bibi, wife of Mohammad Khalil, and a 50-year-old man, Mohammad Javed, son of Fateh Muhammad, were injured in the same village, he added.

Mr Anwar said the injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kotli, where doctors described the condition of the woman.

At about 6pm, mortar shells fired by Indian troops started landing in another area of Nakyal sector, targeting Pir Klinjar, Dharoti, Mohra Gim and Balakot villages, he said.

According to initial reports, Muhammad Atta, 18, and Raees, 20, were injured in Pir Klinjar and Mohra Gim village, he said.

According to AP, two Indian soldiers were injured in retaliatory firing by Pakistan.

An Indian official alleged that Pakistan started firing artillery and small arms onto Indian positions.

Both Pakistan and India said their forces returned fire only in retaliation.

India and Pakistan have a long history of bitter relations over Kashmir, a Himalayan territory divided between them and claimed by both in its entirety. They have fought two wars over Kashmir’s control since they won independence from Britain in 1947.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2018