12 Dead, 57 Injured as Pakistan Army Shells J-K Villages in Retaliation

At least 12 people, including four children, were killed, and 57 others injured when the Pakistan Army launched heavy artillery and mortar shelling on forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

The shelling, which intensified throughout the day, occurred shortly after the Indian armed forces executed missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. This was a retaliatory strike in response to the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, South Kashmir, that claimed 26 civilian lives.

Officials confirmed that the worst-hit area was Poonch district, which accounted for all civilian fatalities. Among the 57 injured, 42 were from Poonch, with several in critical condition. The indiscriminate shelling created widespread panic, forcing border residents to either seek shelter in underground bunkers or evacuate to safer locations.

The Indian Army has retaliated with force, destroying several Pakistani posts involved in the firing, leading to heavy casualties on the enemy side, sources said. The situation remains tense as both sides continue their operations along the volatile LoC.

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