Considered previously to be ‘comparatively’ safe, the remote Gurez sub-valley in the upper belt of the Neelum district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was heavily shelled by Indian troops from across the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday, leaving two civilians dead and four others wounded, local officials said.
Gurez lies beyond Kel – located some 156 kilometres northeast of Muzaffarabad – and is spread over 44 kilometres till Taobutt, the last village of the Neelum district.
Unlike the lower belt of the Neelum district, where the Neelum River serves as the boundary between Azad Kashmir and Occupied Kashmir, the Gurez sub-valley is situated on both sides of the river and has therefore been less vulnerable to cross LoC firing.
However, on Tuesday, this area was hit “indiscriminately” by Indian troops with mortar guns, according to Akhtar Ayub, a disaster management officer based in Athmuqam, the district headquarters of Neelum valley.
In Halmat village, Abdul Jalil Shah, 40, son of Samad Shah, was killed after being hit by splinters from an exploding shell, Ayub said.
Three-year-old Nosheen, daughter of Muhammad Ramzan, became an indirect victim, losing her life from psychological shock as “the thunder of shells filled her with panic”, he added.
The injured persons, who were admitted to a military-run health facility in Halmat, were identified as Ashfaq, son of Ghulam Muhammad Lone; Ghulam Rasool, son of Ghulam Muhammad Mir; Baggi Begum, wife of Rehman Lone; and Hajira Bibi.
Neelum Superintendent of Police (SP) Asif Durrani confirmed Ayub’s account of casualties.
