Cross-LoC Indian fire kills three Pakistanis

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan accused India of killing three people, including a policeman, and wounding four others in firing along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday, at a time of heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.

“A policeman, a man and a woman were killed when Indian troops opened fire across the LoC in the Nakyal sector,” local official Zeeshan Nisar told AFP, adding four were wounded.

Nisar said three people were also wounded in Neelum Valley by Indian troops.

Adnan Khursheed, another local official, confirmed the firing and casualties.

Separately, six people including two women were wounded in overnight cross-LoC firing in the Madarpur sector which also damaged 25 houses and three vehicles, local government official Chaudhry Altaf told AFP.

Officials in the Nakyal sector say thousands of people have fled their homes due to the firing, though they were unable to confirm precise figures. More than  70 schools have also been closed in Nakyal and Goi sectors, authorities said.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months after an attack on India’s army base in Uri in September that killed 19 soldiers.

Tensions in Indian Occupied Kashmir were already high before the army base attack over the July 8 death of Burhan Wani, with nearly 90 people killed in clashes with security forces since then.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2016.