 Early Times Report
Jammu, May 10: Five civilians, including the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Rajouri, Dr Raj Kumar Thapa, lost their lives in unprovoked shelling from across the border during the last 24 hours in different parts of the Jammu region.
Shockingly, during the last three days, Dr Thapa was performing his duty as ADC to provide all relief to the border dwellers of Rajouri district. Even on Friday evening, he visited different border areas of Rajouri district to provide relief to the shelling-affected families of this district.
Unfortunately, this morning, he himself became a victim of the unprovoked shelling from Pakistan.
Shocked over the death of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) officer Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep sorrow over the loss and described Thapa's death as a “terrible loss of life.”
“Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administrative Services. Just yesterday, he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district and attended the online meeting I chaired,” Omar said in a post on X.
He added, “Today, the officer’s residence was hit by Pakistani shelling as they targeted Rajouri town, killing our Additional District Development Commissioner, Shri Raj Kumar Thapa. I have no words to express my shock and sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace.”
Reports said that a woman, namely Rashid Bi, wife of Munshi Khan of Keri Kangra village of the Mendhar sub-division of the Poonch district, lost her life during Pakistani shelling this morning.
The woman was in the premises of her house when a shell fired from across the Line of Control (LoC) exploded in front of her. The seriously injured woman was taken to the Sub-District Hospital Mendhar where she succumbed to her injuries.
On Friday Pakistani Army had targeted several areas in Poonch including Poonch town with heavy shelling using long range mortars. One civilian was killed on Friday five others were injured.
For the first time since 1947, shells fired by the Pakistani Army exploded within the Rajouri town. Some government installations were damaged due to shelling from across the LoC in Rajouri town and its vicinity.
In another incident, a youth identified as Ashok Kumar son of Baldev Raj of Bidipur Jatta village of R S Pura of Jammu district killed in firing from across the border. |
