The Army on Thursday said the Pakistani army, manning the Line of Control (LoC), has “shifted its focus” and started “targeting civil habitation and even mosques to inflict civil casualties” in J&K. Meanwhile, one CRPF jawan was injured and a civilian was killed in attacks by gunmen in Kashmir on Thursday.
“The Pakistan army’s frustration over its failed infiltration attempts across LoC over the years has been an established fact. However, of late, it seems to have shifted its focus from targeting the Army posts to targeting civilians in forward villages, to compensate for its dwindling abilities,” a Srinagar-based Army spokesman said.
The Army said the Pakistan army had on Wednesday targeted forward villages of Tad, Sudpura and Dhanni in Tangdhar Sector in Kupwara. “The army also undertook targeted firing on civil habitation and the Dhani Mosque to inflict civil casualties at the time of evening namaz,” the Army said.
He said the Army forward posts had immediately swung into action and brought down the calibrated and accurate fire to engage the Pakistani posts “involved in this inhuman operation that was against the tenets of International Humanitarian Laws”.
“Pakistan’s failure to inflict civilian casualty is a testimony to the Army’s swift response and robustness of underground bunkers constructed in the forward villages. However, despite best efforts, Pakistan firing caused damage to five houses in Sudpura village and the Dhanni mosque, which enjoys a status of special reverence amongst the locals in view of its heritage value,” the Army said.
Gunmen kill civilian, injured jawan in Valley
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a civilian, goldsmith by profession, in the busy market of Sarai Bala area in Srinagar on Thursday afternoon, while a CRPF jawan was injured in a militant attack in south Kashmir’s Anantnag.
The police identified the civilian as Satpal Nischal, owner of the Nischal Jewellers. Preliminary reports suggest Mr. Nischal was fired upon by the gunmen at his shop. Doctors at the Shri Maharaja hari Singh hospital declared him “brought dead”.
In a separate incident, a CRPF jawan was injured in an attack by militants in Anantnag district.
Officials said the militants fired a grenade first and then opened fire at a checkpoint set up by the CRPF’s 90 in Sangam area of the district in the evening.
“A CRPF SI was injured in the attack,” said the police officials.
