Wife killed, Husband injured during Pak shelling in Nowshera

The Pakistani army resorted to heavy mortar shelling over the areas along the Line of Control in Nowshera subdivision on Wednesday, killing a woman and damaging a school. The shelling also set off migration from a few areas with about 15 families from the Jhanjar sector heading for a camp set up at Nowshera.
On Wednesday night, 40-year-old woman Akhter Bibi was killed while her husband Mohd Haneef received serious splinter injuries when a shell landed on their home. Haneef was rushed to the Sub-district Hospital at Nowshera.
“The Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing of small arms, automatic weapons and heavy mortar shelling on Indian forward posts at about 10.50 pm on Wednesday and was retaliated appropriately and effectively by Indian soldiers,” said defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta.
He added no Indian soldier was injured in the Nowshera sector. The firing stopped in the Lam sector at about 4.30 am while it continued in the Bhawani sector till 8 am on Thursday.
“Two mortar shells hit the middle school building and four-six fell in its vicinity. Had the shell fallen during the working hours there would have been heavy loss of lives,” said Mohinder Singh, a resident of Jhangar.
He added that the newly constructed toilet complex was fully damaged while doors and windows of the rooms suffered extensive damage in the shelling.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhry has directed the SDM, Nowshera, to close all school along the LoC in Nowshera subdivision in the wake of firing from across the border.
“Two higher secondary schools at Nowshera town have been turned into camps for any possible emergency evacuation of the people. A team of doctors has been stationed at the SDM office,” said the Deputy Commissioner.
Later, about 50 people from 15 families, from Jhanger and adjoining areas, reached the Nowshera migrant camp at boys’ higher secondary school. There were reports that many people from other forward villages were slowly emptying out.
Taking stock of the situation, Mandeep Singh Bhandari, Divisional Commissioner, along with the DC and other senior functionaries rushed to Nowshera and held meeting with district officers.
Interacting with the senior officers, the migrants urged them to provide separate accommodation, free ration and compensation for the losses.
“The Divisional Commissioner took stock of the evacuation and relief measures as well as preparedness for immediate action in wake of further emergency. He also directed the district administration to formulate relief cases on a priority basis,” said the Deputy Commissioner, adding that about 27 families had been affected due to the shelling.

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