Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Balakote sector, kills 5 civilians

Five members of a family were on Sunday killed and two others injured in heavy shelling by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a senior police officer said.

Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said the ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Bimber Gali started around 0745 hours.

"They are specifically targeting civilian areas," he said.

Director General of Police S P Vaid in a tweet said, "Due to shelling from across (LoC) in Balakote sector of Poonch, 5 civilians of a family died & 2 are injured who are being shifted to a hospital".

Due to shelling from across in Balakote sector of Poonch 5 civilians of a family died & 2 are injured who are being shifted to hospital.

— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) March 18, 2018

Also Read: Pak Army resorts to indiscriminate small arms fire in J-K's Bhimber Gali sector along LoC, Indian Army retaliates in equal measures

The civilian casualties occurred in forwarding village of Devta Dhar when a shell hit the house of Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, a police official said.

The dead include the house owner, a woman, a boy and a minor girl, he said.

The police official said heavy shelling was going on from both the sides.

Army troops retaliated strongly and effectively to silence Pakistani guns, he said.