Pak shelling kills two more, including 14-year old girl

Heavy shelling by Pakistani troops across the Line of Control in Nowshera sector in Kashmir's Rajouri district claimed two more lives - 14-year-old Afiya and her relative Tufail Hussain (50) - today, taking the number of civilians killed in continued cease-fire violations by Pakistan to three.

Afiya had come from Mendhar to spend a few days with her uncle's family.

Police said while Jaitoon Begum, wife of Tufail Hussain, also was injured when the mortar shell landed outside their house. The two were working outside their house.

While Tufail was killed, his wife was injured when the shell exploded.

Unprovoked shelling by Pakistani forces in the civilian areas on the Indian side of the LoC in Noushera had killed a woman and injured two others two days ago.

Colonel Maneesh Mehta, spokesman of the Army, said Pakistani troops began shelling the civilian areas and Army posts in the Noushera sector at 7.15 am. The Indian army posts are retaliating ''strongly and effectively'' he added.

Mortar shells were being targeted by Pakistani troops towards the Laam, Baba Khori, Jhangar, Makri and Tarya villages along the LOC. The district administration has closed schools in the area as a precautionary measure.

Pakistani troops were indulging cross-border firing for the past four days.

Earlier this month, Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) had beheaded two soldiers of the Indian army in the Krishna Ghati sector.

Escalation of tension on the LoC comes amidst rising incidence of violence inside Kashmir, pointing to a concerted effort by Pakistan and its terrorist outfits to destabilise klashmir.

Pakistan-backed insurgents have repeatedly attacked security forces and banks in recent weeks.

On Wednesday suspected rebels abducted and killed an Indian Army officer who was home on leave for a wedding in Shopian district.

Pakistani troops have also started indulging in unprovoked firing along the international border of the Jammu and Samba districts. A BSF soldier was yesterday injured as Pakistani troops fired at him in the Arnia sector.

Divisional commissioner Mandeep Bhandari visited the affected areas of Rajouri and discussed contingency plans to shift civilians from the areas that were being targeted by Pakistani troops.