Operation Sindoor: Seven civilians killed in Pakistan shelling after IAF strikes terror camps

Tensions escalated along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) as seven civilians were killed in heavy overnight shelling by Pakistani forces after India's launch of Operation Sindoor, a targeted military action against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack in which 26 tourists and a local horse ride operator were killed.

 

All the seven deaths were reported in Poonch district with another 25 persons injured, officials said.

 

Defence sources said that during the intervening night of May 6 and 7, the Pakistan Army resorted to intense and indiscriminate firing, including artillery shelling, from across the border.

 

This aggression came hours after the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out precision strikes on nine identified terror targets in Pakistan and PoK.

 

Among the victims was a woman whose house was directly hit by a mortar shell in the Mankote area of Poonch district. Her 13-year-old daughter sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. Nine more civilians were injured in separate incidents of shelling across different sectors of Poonch. Their condition is reported to be stable.

 

The shelling has prompted authorities to shut all schools, colleges, and educational institutions in five border districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch.

 

Reports of shelling have emerged from multiple sectors, including Krishna Ghati and Shahpur in Poonch, Laam, Manjakote, and Gambeer Brahmana in Rajouri, as well as the Karnah and Uri sectors in north Kashmir’s Kupwara and Baramulla districts.

 

Residents in these areas were forced to take shelter in underground bunkers as Indian security forces responded in equal measure to Pakistan’s ceasefire violations.

 

Schools in areas near the Srinagar airport were also reportedly closed as a precautionary measure. All examination scheduled today have also been cancelled.

 

Meanwhile, security has been tightened along all key border sectors, and residents have been advised to remain vigilant.

India