217 students, 15 teachers rescued at Nowshera
Srinagar: Tensions further escalated along Line of Control (LoC) as an army soldier was killed in fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Nowgam sector of Kashmir's Kupwara district on Tuesday.
Sources said the soldier belonging to 17 Infantry Brigade was killed when a sniper fired by Pakistani troops hit him at Sangam post in Nowgam sector along the LoC. “Heavy firing and shelling were going on in the area as Indian troops were retaliating with heavy weapons on Pakistani posts,” they said.
This was the second incident of a soldier's death in cross-border firing in as many days. On Monday, a trooper and a 9-year-old girl were killed in Pakistani shelling at forward posts and civilian areas in Rajouri district. Last week, two army men were killed after they were hit by sniper fire from Pakistan side near Furkian Gali in Keran sector of Kupwara district.
Earlier in the day, Pakistani army resorted to indiscriminate shelling and firing along the LoC in Poonch district and Rajouri's Nowshera sector. An army personnel was injured in shelling from across the border in Mendhar area of Poonch. An official said that Lance Naik Navjot Singh of 581 Artillery regiment was hit by splinters in his eye at Sabra Gali in Mendhar sector.
In a major rescue operation launched by the District Administration and Police 217 students and around 15 teachers were rescued from three schools in the wake of heavy mortar shelling along LoC in Nowshera sub-division of district Rajouri.
The students of three schools were trapped for more than 6 hours amid heavy shelling in the area. In Middle School Kaladi 12 trapped students were evacuated. After hectic efforts in a prolonged rescue operation 150 students held up at Govt High School Bhawani were shifted to Nowshera. Likewise 55 students and teachers of Govt High School Sair were rescued amid heavy shelling. Sair school was badly damaged due to shelling.
Following heavy shelling in the area, all schools in Nowshera and Manjakote sector have been closed till further orders.
Forward villages including Kalsian, Sair, Bahwani, Namb and Jhangar came under heavy shelling in interior inhabited area.
Sources said that Pakistani troops started heavy mortar shelling and firing targeting several forward defence locations and civilian areas in Manjakote, Balakote and Mendhar sectors along LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts. Indian troops gave befitting response to Pakistan's ceasefire violations at all the places.
The cross-LoC bus service between Poonch-Rawlakote route remained suspended in view of heavy Pakistan shelling along LoC in Rajouri district, leaving 55 citizens of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir stranded in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
There have been hundreds of violations of the 2003 ceasefire agreement by the Pakistan along the LoC and the International Border in J&K since Indian army carried surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir on September 29 last year.
