Woman injured as India resorts to unprovoked shelling across LoC

F.P. Report

CHIRIKOT: A woman was injured in Azad Kashmir due to unprovoked shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) by Indian border forces on Saturday, reported the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

A statement from the ISPR said Indian border forces deliberately targeted the civilian population at the Chirikot Sector.

“A 21 year old woman resident of village Serian sustained serious injuries and evacuated to nearby medical facility,” read a statement from the ISPR.

Tensions have been high between the two nuclear-armed nations over the past couple of months after India revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution that recognised occupied Kashmir as a special territory.

Pakistan reacted sharply to the development, suspending diplomatic ties and trade relations with India. PM Imran has warned the international community in the past couple of months of India’s plans to divert attention from its internal turmoil to conduct a false flag operation.

The prime minister has warned India that if it attacks Pakistan in Azad Kashmir, the country’s armed forces will respond in a befitting manner and “teach India a lesson”.

Indian army chief says will ‘reclaim’ Azad Kashmir if Indian parliament orders

Earlier in January, Indian Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane said if his army receives orders from the Indian parliament to ‘reclaim’ Azad Kashmir from Pakistan, it will take action.

“If the [Indian] parliament wants [Azad] Kashmir to be a part of India, then we will take the necessary action to achieve that goal.”

“There is a parliamentary resolution that entire Jammu and Kashmir is part of India. If Parliament wants it, then, that area [AJK] also should belong to us,” he added.

This is not the first time the new Indian general has indulged in provocative posturing. In an earlier statement, Gen Naravane had said that India “reserve[d] the right to preemptively strike at sources of terror”.