Heavy Pakistani shelling in the border districts of Rajouri, Poonch, and Jammu claimed the lives of five people, including a senior government official, and injured several others early Saturday, officials said.
The barrage, targeting civilian and government facilities, has deepened fears amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions.
Among the deceased was Raj Kumar Thapa, Additional District Development Commissioner of Rajouri, who was fatally injured when an artillery shell struck his official residence in Rajouri town. Two of his staff members were also critically wounded in the attack and are undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College.
Thapa’s death has sent shockwaves through the region, with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah describing it as a “terrible loss.” On X, he noted, “We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services,” highlighting Thapa’s active role in district duties just a day prior.
The shelling also killed two-year-old Aisha Noor and Mohd Shohib, 35, in Rajouri’s industrial area, Rashida Bi, 55, in Poonch’s Mendhar sector, and Ashok Kumar in Jammu’s R S Pura sector along the International Border. Several others were injured in Jammu city, where residential areas like Rehari and Rupnagar were hit by shells and suspected drones.
The attacks, which began before dawn, are part of Pakistan’s intensified response to India’s ‘Operation Sindoor,’ a military operation targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The shelling has caused extensive damage, with civilian homes, a gurdwara, a mosque, and government buildings bearing the brunt. In Poonch, the Police Lines came under direct attack, though no casualties were reported there.
The Indian Army has retaliated, engaging Pakistani posts along the Line of Control (LoC).
