A GREF driver was killed and seven others including a BSF man injured in cross Line of Control (LoC) shelling by Pakistan Army in Krishna Ghati and Mankote sectors of Mendhar tehsil in Poonch district on Thursday.
Defence sources said Pakistani troops fired from automatic weapons and resorted to mortar shelling on army positions and civilian areas in Mendhar tehsil this morning.
They said the army men also returned the fire.
In Mankote sector, a mortar shell fired by Pakistani troops exploded close to a moving vehicle of GREF carrying staff for construction of a road close to LoC, sources said.
They said three GREF employees including a driver sustained splinter injuries. They were injured to nearby hospital, where critically injured driver Parvez Ahmed succumbed to injuries.
Two other injured identified as Radha Krishnan and Sarvan Kumar have been referred to GMC Jammu for specialized treatment.
Sources said a civilian identified as Haroon Rashid, 22 of village Dabraj of Sagra in Mankote sector sustained splinter injuries after mortar shell exploded near him.
He was shifted to hospital by the locals.
Defence sources further said a BSF Hawaldar Nizamudin of 50 Bn BSF, who was guarding forward area in Mankote sector, sustained injuries in Pakistani troops mortar shelling.
They said three others persons also sustained injuries in Pakistani troops firing and shelling in some other areas.
The locals alleged that when the shelling was going on, administration failed to provide ambulances to shift injured people to the hospital.
“The injured persons were shifted to hospital in civilian vehicles,” they said adding only one injured was shifted to hospital in ambulance.
Defence spokesman Lt Colonel Manish Mehta said Pakistani firing at Nowshera and KG sectors stopped at 9 am and 1 pm respectively.
Guns roar again along LoC, GREF driver killed, BSF man among 7 injured in Pak shelling
