In one of the gravest provocations, the Pakistan Army on Tuesday targeted schoolchildren studying inside their classes along the line of Control (loC) in Nowshera sector of frontier Rajouri district.
These children remained stranded for over six hours inside their class rooms, while shells landed inside school premises causing extensive damage to a portion of school building. In response, the Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively to silence roar of Pakistan guns.
According to Defence spokesman, lt Col Munish Mehta, “24 year old Sepoy Jaspreet Singh, hailing from Moga district of Punjab, attained martyrdom in the heavy exchange of fire in Nowshera sector on Tuesday”.
After suspending the peace bus service between Poonch-Rawalakote on Monday the trade also remained suspended for the second consecutive week via Chakan-da-bagh in Poonch in the wake of escalation of tension along the loC in the region.
Meanwhile, in a major rescue operation launched by the joint team of Indian Army and security personnel of Special Operations Group of State Police a total number of 217 students and 15 teachers were safely evacuated from three schools amid heavy mortar shelling in Nowshera sub-division.
Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary told The Pioneer, “217 Students and 15 teachers from three schools were safely evacuated in bulletproof bunkers amid heavy mortar shelling in Nowshera sub-division”.
“55 students and teachers had a narrow escape as High School, Sair came under direct hit of shells damaging larger portion while class room remained unaffected. 12 children were rescued from Middle school Kaladi and 150 students held up at Govt High School Bhawani were shifted to Nowshera”, Deputy Commissioner Dr Choudhary said.
More than 150 students have been shifted to camps while other students handed over to parents, he added.
According to DC, Rajouri, “forward villages including Kalsian, Sair, Bahwani, Namb and Jhangar received heavy shelling in interior inhabited area.” The team of officers came under heavy shelling in Bhawani and had a narrow escape as shells landed few meters away from school.
All schools in Nowshera and Manjakote sector have been closed for an an indefinite period.
The district administration had earlier closed down 16 schools in the forward areas of Rajouri on Monday.
On Tuesday as Pakistan Army opened firing on several civilian areas of Bhawani, Kadali and Sair students studying inside their class rooms across three schools were trapped too.
According to Ministry of Defence Spokesman lt-Col Munish Mehta, “Pakistan Army had initiated unprovoked firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1.50 pm in Nowshera sector along the loC”.
In response, the Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, he added.
Ceasefire violation was also reported along the loC in Bhimber Gali and Poonch sector around 6.45 am.