Pakistani Shelling Claims Lives in Jammu and Kashmir: Government Official Among Five Killed
Early morning on May 10, Pakistani artillery shelling resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a government official from Jammu and Kashmir, in Rajouri, Poonch, and Jammu districts. The escalating military conflict between India and Pakistan has left several others critically injured.
The night prior to the shelling was filled with tension, and India awoke to reports of explosions in Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley and various locations in Punjab. Pakistan also claimed that Indian missiles and drones targeted three of its airbases.
Raj Kumar Thapa, an Additional District Development Commissioner in Rajouri, along with two of his staff members, sustained serious injuries when an artillery shell struck his official residence. Despite being rushed to the Government Medical College, Thapa tragically succumbed to his injuries.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his condolences for Thapa’s death, describing it as a “devastating loss.” Two-year-old Aisha Noor and Mohd Shohib were also among the casualties, with three others suffering injuries in the shelling near an industrial area in Rajouri town.
In Poonch district, a 55-year-old woman named Rashida Bi lost her life when a mortar shell hit her house in Kanghra-Galhutta village. Additionally, Ashok Kumar, a resident of Bidipur Jatta village, was killed in cross-border firing along the International Border in the R S Pura sector of Jammu district.
Further casualties were reported in Poonch, with three individuals sustaining injuries and being transported to a hospital for treatment. In Jammu city, several individuals were also injured as residential areas, including Rehari and Rupnagar, were hit by artillery shells and suspected drones.
During a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal), and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases of the Pakistan Air Force were targeted in the escalating conflict.
