Jammu Tawi: A senior Jammu and Kashmir government official was killed and two of his staff members critically injured in Pakistani shelling that struck Rajouri town early Saturday, officials confirmed.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Raj Kumar Thapa, was fatally injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence. His two staff members, also wounded in the attack, were rushed to Government Medical College, where their condition remains critical.
The shelling targeted civilian areas of Rajouri town in a serious escalation along the Line of Control. The attack has heightened tensions in the border district and prompted emergency responses from local authorities.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep sorrow over Thapa’s death. “Devastating news from Rajouri… I’ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life,” he wrote in a post on X, highlighting that Thapa had actively participated in official duties just a day earlier.
Thapa had been a key administrative figure in Rajouri district, recently accompanying the Deputy Chief Minister on official engagements. The Pakistani shelling marks one of the most serious cross-border incidents in recent weeks.
