Shelling and indiscriminate firing from Pakistan across the Line of Control and International Border into Jammu and Kashmir killed at least 13 people, including four children and one soldier, Indian officials said Wednesday. Fifty-seven others were injured in the cross-border attacks that heavily impacted the Poonch district.
The violence follows Operation Sindoor, strikes launched by India just after midnight targeting what it described as nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India stated the action was a response to the recent Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists.
Pakistan confirmed India’s military attacked six locations, launching 24 strikes that resulted in at least eight deaths and more than 35 wounded in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Locations Pakistan reported hit included Ahmedpur Sharqia, Muridke, a village near Sialkot, and Shakargarh in Punjab province, as well as Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistan's military occurred in Poonch, affecting areas like Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote, Krishna Ghati, Gulpur, and Kerni, along with the district headquarters. Rajouri and Uri sector in Baramulla district also reported injuries from the shelling. Houses, vehicles, and buildings, including a Gurdwara, sustained damage in Poonch, forcing residents to seek shelter or evacuate.
The deceased civilian fatalities in Poonch included Balvinder Kour, Mohd Zain Khan, Zoya Khan, Mohd Akram, Amrik Singh, Mohd Iqbal, Ranjeet Singh, Shakeela Bi, Amarjeet Singh, Maryam Khatoon, Vihaan Bhargav, and Mohd Rafi. A Lance Naik in the Indian Army was also killed.
Havildar Mohd Khan, a former Army commando in Uri, described his home being damaged by artillery shells. He recounted taking his children and wife outside during the shelling and telling them to lie low for safety. Pakistani shelling was presented as Pakistan's response to India's strikes.
India described its strikes as focused and non-escalatory, asserting no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. They maintained the targets were selected based on intelligence and timed for early morning to minimize civilian presence.
Pakistan claimed its forces shot down five Indian warplanes following the strikes. India offered no immediate comment on that claim.
The border dividing Indian-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir is known as the Line of Control, a ceasefire line formally recognized under the 1972 Simla Agreement. Both nations claim parts of the wider Kashmir region.
