J-K: Pakistani shelling damages civilian homes in Rajouri
Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 10 (ANI): Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan carried out cross-border shelling on Saturday, causing significant damage to civilian areas in Jammu's Rajouri district and heightening fears among residents.
A series of explosions damaged several houses and properties across the region, triggering panic among residents.
According to locals, smoke rose after loud explosions were reported in Rajouri.
'One injured person has been brought here. Doctors and the entire team are ready. His treatment began immediately,' said Farukh Ahmed Wani, the security in-charge at the hospital.
Authorities confirmed that the injured civilian was transported to the hospital shortly after the shelling.
Strikes occurred near the Aap Shambhu Temple in Rajouri, prompting Jammu Police and other agencies to recover projectile fragments from the site.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, a drone-related explosion damaged a house in Kanganiwal village in rural Jalandhar.
Surjeet Kaur, a local resident, described the moment of the attack: 'A red coloured flash came above our house and there was a huge explosion. We got scared. Everything was dark. We came out of our houses after a short while and saw that the water tank above our houses and our neighbours' houses had exploded. There was a blackout at that time, and all the lights were off.'
At least four airbases in Pakistan were hit by Indian strikes in the early hours of Saturday, top government sources said, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
India launched the retaliatory strikes immediately after Pakistan attacked 26 locations across India on Saturday, the sources told ANI. Intermittent firing is still going on at several places along the Line of Control (LoC).
'Drones have been sighted at 26 locations along the International Border and LoC with Pakistan. These include suspected armed drones. The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala. Regrettably, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in injuries to members of a local family. The injured have been provided medical assistance, and security forces have sanitised the area. The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems. The situation is under close and constant watch & prompt action is being taken wherever necessary. Citizens, especially in border areas, are advised to remain indoors, limit unnecessary movement, and strictly follow safety instructions issued by local authorities. While there is no need for panic, heightened vigilance and precaution are essential,' the Ministry of Defence said in its statement.
On the night of May 7-8, Indian forces also successfully neutralised Pakistan's large-scale drone and missile attack aimed at several Indian military bases in northern and western parts of the country. An air defence system in Lahore was also taken out during those operations. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Addressing non-tariff barriers key for India, EU trade pact, says Piyush Goyal
Finding solutions to address non-tariff barriers would be important for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) and both sides are actively working on resolving these issues, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday (June 12, 2025). He said the two sides are "pretty" close to finalising the talks for the proposed free trade pact. "Significant progress has been made. More than half the chapters are ready. In terms of content, I would say we are almost 90 per cent ready for market access. The important issues to be addressed are non-tariff barriers and how we will make it smoother, easier, and better to do business between the EU and India," Mr. Goyal told reporters in Stockholm. He added that both India and the EU are in active discussions to find solutions to make business smooth for companies of both sides. "Unless countries recognise that over regulation and barriers to trade will be met with reciprocal action, everybody suffers. We are committed to deregulation, to finding solutions to the high cost of regulation, the non-tariff barriers that these regulations cause and the impediments to free trade. I am quite hopeful that we will find very robust solutions to this problem," the Minister said. He is here on an official visit to meet his Swedish counterpart and companies for promoting trade and investments between the two countries. Sweden is a member of the 27-nation EU bloc. Key Indian exports that routinely face high barriers in the EU include — chillies, tea, Basmati rice, milk, poultry, bovine meat, fish, chemicals products. Most non-tariff measures (NTMs) are domestic rules created by countries with an aim to protect human, animal or plant health and environment. NTM may be technical measures such as regulations, standards, testing, certification, pre-shipment inspection or non-technical measures like quotas, import licensing, subsidies, government procurement restrictions. When NTMs become arbitrary, beyond scientific justification, they create hurdles for trade and are called NTBs (non-tariff barriers). India's exports are far below potential as they face NTBs in regions, including the EU, the US, China, Japan, and Korea. According to think tank GTRI, the EU has set MRL (minimum residual limit) for tricyclazole, a fungicide in rice, to 0.01 mg per kg as against the ten times higher limit earlier. Similarly, the EU has set MRL for aflatoxins B1 level in chilies and other spices at 5 to 10 ppb (parts per billion). The minister said negotiations on services and rules or origin have started. To give an impetus to the ongoing talks for the FTA, EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic is expected to visit New Delhi on June 28-29. On the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Goyal said this measure is "not good" as it is also a kind of a non-tariff barrier. This carbon tax, if imposed, will do injustice to Indian industry, he said, adding that if the EU will take any such step, India will have to respond to that. FTA talks are happening in a good environment and it will not be good to impose carbon tax on Indian goods, he added. "Our talks are going on the issue to find ways to deal with this," the minister said, adding that some good solutions will come out on this. On February 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to seal a much-awaited free trade deal by this year amid rising concerns over US President Donald Trump's policy on tariffs. In June 2022, India and the 27-nation EU bloc resumed the negotiations after a gap of over eight years. It stalled in 2013 due to differences over the level of opening up of the markets. India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU was $136.4 billion in 2024-25 (exports $75.75 billion, imports $60.65 billion), making it the largest trading partner of India for goods. The EU market accounts for about 17 per cent of India's total exports, while the EU's exports to India make up 9% of its total exports. EU's investments in India are valued at over $117 billion with around 6,000 European companies present in India. India's investments in the EU are valued at around $40 billion.
New Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Child labour scene worsens in urban Bengaluru: NGO report
BENGALURU: Despite years of progress and policy reforms, child labour continues to cast a shadow over the children of South India. Marking the World Day against Child Labour, a recent report by the Child Rights and You (CRY) Foundation reveals that 16% of children aged 6 to 18 in the region are engaged in either full-time or part-time work, a direct violation of their right to education and protection. From agricultural fields and livestock management and more, children are being stripped of their childhood and basic rights. The report is based on surveys conducted across selected districts in four south Indian states —Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana— primarily focusing on rural areas. In Karnataka, 8,413 children aged 6 to 14 were surveyed in four districts, and 443 were found to be involved in child labour. Among those aged 15 to 18, the number rose to 509 of 2,750 children. Harry Jeyakaran, AGM, CRY Program, and State Lead for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, highlighted the lack of school accessibility in rural areas as a major factor contributing to this crisis. 'According to the RTE Act, every village should have a primary school within 1 km, a middle school within 3 km, and a high school within 5 km. But in our operational areas, only 60-70% of villages have a nearby primary school. The numbers drop sharply- only 40% have middle schools, and just 10-12% have access to high schools or PUC,' he explained.
New Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Indian-origin man sentenced 75 months in US for fraud scheme targeting elders
SAN FRANCISCO: An Indian-origin man has been sentenced to over six years in prison for his involvement in a fraud scheme in which he laundered over a million dollars targeting senior citizens, according to the justice department. Pranav Patel, 33, of New Jersey, served as a "money mule" in the fraud scheme between October and December 2023 and laundered USD 1.7 million as part of it. He pleaded guilty in December last year and was sentenced on Wednesday by US District Judge William Jung to six years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also ordered the seizure of USD 1.7 million, the Justice Department said. Conspirators involved in the scheme called from call centres abroad and fraudulently identified themselves as government agents such as officers from the US Treasury Department. In some instances, they told victims that there were outstanding warrants for their arrest and they needed to pay to clear the warrants. On other occasions, the conspirators told victims that they needed to provide their money and gold to the officers for safekeeping. Patel drove from New Jersey to pick up money and gold from senior citizens in Florida and elsewhere along the US East Coast. During the sentencing hearing, one victim from whom Patel picked up fraud proceeds informed the court that because of the scam, he was unable to afford his mortgage payments, had to sell his house and depended on Social Security benefits for all his living expenses. In December 2023, Patel travelled to a residence to retrieve what he believed was a box of gold. However, he was unaware that he was doing so while under law enforcement surveillance, and was promptly arrested after picking up the box.
