At least four civilians including a minor child and her mother received injuries as there has been no let up from the Pakistani side to target the civilian areas during intense exchange of firing.
According to ground reports, Pakistan Army initiated ‘ unprovoked’ ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Balakote sector of Mendhar on Sunday and targeted several civilian areas.
In response, Indian Army retaliated strongly. Till the time of filing the report, intermittent shelling was going on in the forward areas of Mendhar. The firing continued even as it was raining in the region. The injured civilians were shifted to Rajouri hospital for medical treatment, official sources said.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh Sunday visited Batote town, along with senior CRPF and police officers and felicitated the joint teams of security forces behind eliminated three terrorists during the nine hour long operation on Saturday.
According to police spokesman, “The DGP accompanied by ADGP CRPF Zulfikar Hassan and IGP (Ops) CRPF Rajesh Kumar Yadav, IG Jammu Mukesh Singh first visited Batote. The DGP visited site of the encounter and interacted with the family and also the elderly person namely Vijay Kumar who was taken hostage but saved by the operational team of the Police, Army and CAPF. The DGP also extended financial help to the family. DIG DKR Range B.S Tuti, DIG CRPF Prabhat Chandra Jha, CO B.P. Yadav, SSP Doda Mumtaz Ahmad, SSP Ramban Anita Sharma briefed the DGP and other visiting officers regarding encounter.
Later in the afternoon the DGP visited the Military Hospital Udhampur to know the welfare of the personnel injured in the encounter. The DGP also met the family members of the injured personnel.
According to police spokesman, “seven personnel were injured among which SPO Imtiyaz Hussain is still critical”. Those injured include SI Sonu, SI Shabir and Const. Amir Hussain. The DGP directed the SSP Udhampur to take care of the parents / relatives of the injured persons. The DGP also met SI Amardeep Thakur who was injured in an encounter in Baramulla. He impressed upon the doctors to provide all the needed medical help. The DGP also provided financial help on the spot to the families of injured personnel.
