Pakistan says Indian shelling kills civilian in disputed Kashmir

A civilian has been killed and three others wounded by Indian shelling in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pakistan’s military has said.

A 50-year-old woman died and the other civilians – including a four-year-old child – were wounded in the incidents in the Tatta Pani and Jandrot areas on Tuesday, as tensions remained high between the South Asian neighbours in the disputed region.

“Indian troops unprovoked ceasefire violation in [Tatta Pani] and Jandrot Sectors along [the Line of Control], deliberately targeting civil population with mortars and heavy weapons,” said a Pakistan military statement.

Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over the disputed mountainous territory, which both claim in full but administer in part.

The shelling came hours before Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Pakistani troops stationed at the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border and ceasefire line that divides the disputed territory.

Tensions have been high at the LoC for the last two years, with frequent violations of a 2003 ceasefire agreement by both countries.

Both countries routinely blame each other for initiating the violence.

“These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security,” a statement by Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs office said on Wednesday.

Pakistan alleges that India violated the ceasefire more than 3,000 times this year, killing at least 28 civilians and wounding more than 249.

India does not routinely share data on its shelling in Pakistan but also records civilian casualties due to what it describes as shelling from the Pakistani military.

Last week, Indian firing across the LoC damaged a United Nations military observers’ vehicle, part of a fact-finding mission to an area of Pakistan-administered Kashmir that is close to the LoC.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry vehemently protested the incident, in which there were no casualties but bullet holes were visible on the UN vehicle.

India’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, denied that Indian troops were responsible for the damage.

Security operation launched

In an unrelated development, Pakistan’s military says 10 people – all identified as armed fighters – were killed after a security operation in the southwestern district of Awaran on Tuesday.

The military said the security operation was launched in response to the killing of a Pakistani soldier in the area on Sunday.

Awaran is situated in Balochistan province, where, for more than a decade, Pakistani troops have been battling armed separatist groups who call for the independence of the province from Pakistan.