Shopkeeper killed, gurdwara building damaged in shelling in Poonch by Pakistan
A shopkeeper was killed and the building of a gurdwara was damaged as Pakistan launched heavy shelling early Wednesday in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Eyewitnesses described the intensity of the bombardment as worse than during the 1999 Kargil War.
According to officials, Amreek Singh, the local shopkeeper, was killed instantly when a shell exploded outside his shop near Syndicate Chowk as he arrived to open it, sending shockwaves through the community.
A nearby gurdwara, located just a short walk from Singh's shop, was also struck during the shelling, and its wall sustained considerable structural damage. No one was reported to be injured inside the gurdwara.
After the Pakistani shelling, many families in Poonch have begun fleeing toward Jammu, seeking safety amid fears of further violence.
At least seven other civilians were killed and 38 injured in Jammu and Kashmir, following the strikes by India on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. Officials said one person was killed in Mendhar, and six died in Poonch.
'During the night of 06-07 May 2025, Pakistan Army resorted to arbitrary firing, including Artillery shelling from posts across the Line of Control and IB opposite J&K,' Lt Colonel Suneel Baratwal, PRO (Defence), Northern Command, said.
A woman was reported killed in Mankote, though officials have yet to confirm her death.
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