[DAWN] A woman lost her life and another sustained injuries as Indian troops on Wednesday targeted civilian population in two different areas of Azad Kashmire from across the line of control (LoC), officials said.Neelum Deputy Commissioner Raja Mahmood Shahid told Dawn that "indiscriminate" shelling by Indian troops began at about 8:50am in the morning and continued till 2pm intermittently, during which the troops targeted civilian population in district headquarters Athmuqam and its surrounding hamlets.
A mortar shell landed in the courtyard of a house in Bugna village on the outskirts of the district headquarters, killing Sajida Bibi, a 35-year-old mother of six, he said.
"Splinters from the shell pierced through her neck, causing huge loss of blood that led to her on the spot death," the deputy commissioner said after visiting the aggrieved family. Shahid handed over a cheque of Rs0.3 million on behalf of the AJK government to the heirs of the dear departed woman.
According to the deputy commissioner, Pak forces gave a "befitting response to the unprovoked shelling by Indian forces."
It’s for the second time that Indian troops have directly targeted civilian population of Athmuqam in less than two weeks.