Heavy shelling by Pakistani troops - The Indian Express

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Indian villages and parts of Kargil town in Ladakh region came under
heavy shelling Pakistani troops yesterday resulting in shifting of
people to safer areas and damage to some houses, Jammu and Kashmir
Minister of State for Home Ali Mohammed Sagar said today.

Making a suo motu statement in both Houses of the state legislature, the
minister said that parts of Kargil town and the villages and the
villages of Akchamal, Poyan, Botli Bazar and Shill came under heavy
shelling from across the border. There were, however, no casualties, but
Kargil helipad had been damaged and some houses had developed cracks.

The sources said Pakistanis used machine guns and mortars. A few shells
had landed at Kargil helipad. It was however, made operational later.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) Leh had rushed to Kargil to take
stock of the situation.

Sagar said Kargil helipad was now safe and the Army authorities had
cleared it for flights.

Defence sources described it as routine firing", but added that what was
unusual this time was that some shells had landed on the outskirts of
the two villages of Baru and Pratavganj which had created panic among
the villagers.

The sources said the firing was still on when last reports came in. They
said some people have been shifted to safer areas but their exact number
was not known.

Meanwhile, along the international border in Samba and R S Pura sectors
here, more than a lakh acres of fertile land of border villages had
become fallow because of impediments in cultivation caused by
intermittent unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops, sources said.

Pakistanis also fired to create obstacles in the fencing of borders.
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had also recently, stated in the State
Assembly about the firing by Pakistan and hinted that the Government may
have to change the alignment of the fencing area.

Pakistanis have been firing all along the international border from
Paharpu to Thakrachak in Samba sector for the past more than 18 months.
However, for the past six months they have been targeting villagers
making it difficult for them to work in their fields.

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