Subhechcha Ganguly 
Three civilians, including a woman, were killed and at least five others injured in heavy artillery shelling by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir late Tuesday night, officials said.
According to local authorities, the shelling occurred in the Medhar area of Poonch district. The deceased have been identified as Mohd Adil, Saleem Hussain, and Ruby Kour. The Indian Army is said to have responded with proportionate force.
“Pakistan Army resorted to arbitrary firing, including artillery shelling, from posts across the LoC and IB opposite J&K. Three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing,” an official stated.
In a separate incident, five civilians sustained injuries during intense firing in Salamabad village in Kupwara district. Additionally, around 10 houses were damaged in Dhakki village in the Mendhar area as a result of the shelling.
The cross-border attacks reportedly began in the early hours of Wednesday, just hours after Indian forces conducted precision strikes on nine terror targets. These operations were in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians—marking the deadliest attack of its kind in nearly two decades.
As a precaution, Srinagar Airport will remain closed for civilian flights on Wednesday. Anti-aircraft gunfire was heard across the Valley, and sirens were sounded at the 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar, eyewitnesses reported. Officials confirmed that heavy artillery shelling was witnessed for the first time in Uri and Kupwara regions.
Since the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC and IB for 12 consecutive days. Wednesday’s assault marked the first major instance of heavy shelling in the region during this period.
Military sources indicate that Pakistani forces have violated the February 2021 ceasefire agreement approximately 15 times between January and early April 2025. Unlike previous brief skirmishes resolved through diplomatic channels, the recent pattern involves simultaneous, large-scale attacks at multiple locations—suggesting a deliberate escalation.
Security officials view these continuous violations as an intentional move by Pakistan to heighten tensions along the LoC. Intelligence inputs suggest that Pakistan has deployed reinforcements across the border to strengthen its military presence.
