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Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
After Op Sindoor, 12 civilians killed, 42 injured in Pakistan shelling in Poonch
At least 12 civilians were killed and 42 injured as Pakistan army resorted to intense artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Wednesday morning soon after India carried out precision strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to avenge the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. Smoke billows after an artillery shell landed in the main town of Poonch district in India's Jammu region on Wednesday. (AFP) A senior police officer of Poonch confirmed the casualties and said the dead include four children, aged between seven and 14 years. Among four minors, two were siblings. Four members of the Sikh community, including a woman, were also among the dead. A Muslim cleric of Darul Uloom Madarsa Quari Mohammad Iqbal was also killed in the Pakistani shelling. The indiscriminate shelling created panic among the border residents who were forced to take refuge in underground bunkers or shift to safer places within or outside their villages. The shelling was reported from Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote, Sagra, Krishna Ghati, Gulpur, Kerni and even Poonch district headquarters, resulting in damage to dozens of houses. Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha and Christ School in Poonch town were hit in the Pakistani artillery fire. 'Villagers are migrating to their relatives' houses in Jammu,' said Darshan Bharti, a local resident of Poonch, which is located 20km from the LoC. 'There is panic in Poonch town, which has witnessed two deaths in the Pakistani shelling. You can see long queues at fuel stations,' Bharti said, adding he was evacuating his family to Jammu. Poonch deputy commissioner Vikas Kundal and district police chief Shafqat Hussain didn't respond to calls and messages. The deceased included Mohd Adil of Sagra under Mendhar police station, Saleem Hussain of Balakot, also in Mendhar, Balvinder Kour, alias Ruby, 33, of Mohalla Sardaran in Mankote, Mohd Zain, 10, of Kalani village under Mandi police station in Poonch, Mohd Akram, 55, of Ward number 1 of Mohalla Sukka Katha, Amreek Singh of Mohalla Sandigate, Ranjeet Singh and Amarjeet Singh of Sandigate, Zoya Khan, 12, of Kalani village in Mandi, Mohd Rafi, 36, of Kojra, Bandichechian, and Mohd Iqbal, 45, of Baila village.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘War devours the innocent': Akal Takht Jathedar condemns attack in Poonch, urges peace between India and Pakistan
Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, has condemned the shelling in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch in which Sikh community members were killed and the wall of a gurdwara was damaged on Wednesday. 'The attack on Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha and the loss of Sikh lives is not just an event—it is a blow to humanity,' he said. Calling for diplomatic efforts, Jathedar Gargaj urged both India and Pakistan to reduce tensions. 'Both governments must act with wisdom, not weapons,' he added. Official sources said that at least 10 civilians were killed and 40 were injured, mostly in Jammu 's Poonch sector, as Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling across the Line of Control in response to India's Operation Sindoor. A large number of houses were damaged or caught fire in the cross-border shelling, forcing hundreds of residents to flee to safer areas. The deceased in Poonch included Bhai Amreek Singh, soldier Bhai Amarjeet Singh, and Bhai Ranjit Singh, a shopkeeper. A Sikh woman, Bibi Ruby Kaur, also lost her life in the Manakot area. 'Since 1947, this conflict has caused suffering, including to Hindus and Sikhs near the border. How many more must pay for a conflict they did not create?' Gargaj said that the longer the region remains in conflict, the more it will harm its people. 'War always devours the innocent… Peace is not weakness—it is the strength we must summon.' 'This violence has taken lives from our community,' Jathedar Gargaj said, adding, 'Amreek Singh served through kirtan, Amarjeet Singh defended the borders, and Ranjit Singh was a tradesman. Their lives should not have ended like this.' He called for prayers (ardas) for their souls and for their families to gain strength. Addressing the people of the border areas, Jathedar Gurgajj asked for support and faith. 'Support one another. Take shelter in Gurbani. Stay firm. Pray for peace,' the Jathedar said. After the shelling by Pakistan, many families in Poonch have begun fleeing toward Jammu, seeking safety amid fears of further violence.
