Hours after India carried out Operation Sindoor on nine terror bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the death of at least 13 civilians after Pakistani forces resorted to heavy artillery shelling and mortar fire across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The shelling, which reportedly began late Wednesday (May 7) night and continued into the early hours of Thursday, follows India¡¯s ¡®Operation Sindoor¡¯, a coordinated missile strike targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. MEA also confirmed the injury toll to have reached 59.
According to officials (a source-backed report attached later):
A military official said as per PTI, "During the intervening night of May 7 and 8, Pakistan Army posts resorted to unprovoked fire using small arms and artillery guns across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army responded proportionately.¡±
Heavy cross-border shelling was reported in Krishna Ghati, Shahpur, Mankote, Balakote, Gulpur, and Kerni in the Poonch district, and Laam, Manjakote, and Gambeer Brahmana in Rajouri. In North Kashmir, Uri (Baramulla) and Tangdhar and Chowkibal (Kupwara) witnessed intense shelling that damaged a dozen structures and injured at least nine people.
| Area? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? | Deaths?? | Injured? ? ? ?? | ? Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poonch District | 17 | 52 | - Indian Express: 6 civilians + 1 (Mendhar) + 2 CRPF injured - Hindu: 12 civilians killed across 4 districts (incl. Poonch), 42 injured - Mint: 3 civilians dead, 10 injured (Bhimber Gali + others) - Quint: 10 civilians dead, 38 injured |
| ? Mankote | 2+ | 2+ | - Indian Express: 1 woman killed (unconfirmed) - Mint: 1 woman killed + 13-year-old daughter injured |
| ? Krishna Ghati | - | Several | - Multiple sources confirm shelling; injured not quantified separately |
| ? Shahpur | - | Unspecified | - Reported shelling across sources |
| ? Balakote | - | Unspecified | - The Hindu |
| ? Kerni, Gulpur | - | Unspecified | - The Hindu |
| ? Poonch Town | 1 | 2+ | - Ex-serviceman Amarjeet Singh killed (The Hindu) - 2 CRPF jawans injured near bus stand (Indian Express, Quint) |
| Rajouri District | - | Multiple | - Shelling in Laam, Manjakote, Gambeer Brahmana reported - Injuries included in pooled stats |
| Kupwara (Karnah, Tangdhar, Chowkibal) | - | 9 | - The Hindu confirms 9 civilians injured in these areas |
| Baramulla (Uri) | - | 9 | - Reported in The Hindu |
| R.S. Pora | - | Included | - Mentioned in The Hindu (temporary shelters set up), no specific casualty count |
| Overall Totals | 20* | 60+* |
Among the deceased:
Local residents said this was the first time Poonch town had been affected by such intense shelling since the 1999 Kargil War. ¡°Mortars shattered glass in houses, damaged buildings, and created holes in parked vehicles,¡± said a resident of Qazi Mohra, Poonch to The Hindu.
The relentless firing has created a panic wave in the border districts. Authorities have:
Indian security forces responded to the unprovoked shelling with equal intensity, sources told The Hindu. The cross-border exchange marked the 13th consecutive night of firing since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.?The retaliatory missile strikes under Operation Sindoor had targeted nine known terror facilities across the border, prompting the intensified Pakistani response.
Emergency response teams remain deployed, while medical personnel in affected hospitals, including Poonch District Hospital, are attending to the injured.?A district official told JKNS: ¡°Relief efforts are ongoing and all necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of civilians.¡±?Meanwhile, authorities have urged residents to remain indoors or move to designated shelters as the Indian Army continues its response. Stay tuned to Indiatimes for more details.
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