MIRPUR/Islamabad - A Pakistan Army soldier and a woman embraced martyrdom and seven others sustained serious injuries when India violated the ceasefire on Saturday and resorted to unprovoked shelling on two villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in Hajipir and Nikayal Sectors of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

According to an ISPR statement released in Rawalpindi, a Pakistan Army soldier embraced Shahadat in unprovoked firing by the Indian troops in Hajipir Sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC).

Havaldar Nasir Hussain, 33, resident of Narowal, had 16 years of service to his credit.

When contacted, Commissioner Poonch Division Ch Muhammad Raqeeb told this correspondent, “Indian troops resorted to unprovoked shelling targeting the forward villages of Balakot and Androth Darayari in Nikayal Sector in AJK on Saturday morning killing a woman identified as Fatima d/o Feroze. She was resident of firing-hit Balakot village.”

Seven other people including four women, residents of the forward village Androth Darayari in Nikayal Sector, also sustained wounds due to Indian firing along the LoC. The injured women were identified as Nazia Bibi (36) wife of Lal Hussain, Gul Yasmeen (59) w/o Muhammad Ismail, Shah Begam (70) w/o Lal Hussain and Shamiyala Bibi (21) d/o Muhammad Ismail.

One of the injured women was rushed to Kotli District Hospital for treatment. Besides that, a large number of animals were also hit by Indian firing along LoC border villages, said the commissioner.

APP adds: Director General (South Asia and SAARC) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammad Faisal Saturday summoned the Indian Charge d’Affaires, Gaurav Ahluwalia, and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the LoC.

In the most recent ceasefire violations by the Indian forces on Saturday in Nikial and Jandrot sectors of the LoC targeting the innocent civilians, an innocent 40-year old woman martyred while seven others, including women sustained serious injuries, a Foreign Office statement said in Islamabad.

The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and Working Boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons, which still continues.

“This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations,” it said.

The Foreign Office spokesperson said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas was indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.

The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.

The Director General (SA & SAARC) urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate these and other incidents of ceasefire violations.

He also asked India to instruct their forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.