Night of intense bombardment sends people fleeing in Kashmir

[kevinUsa]

Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged heavy volleys of shells and gunfire across their frontier in Kashmir overnight, killing at least five civilians in a growing military standoff.

In Pakistan, an unusually intense night of artillery exchanges killed at least four civilians and wounded 12 others in areas near the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir, local police official Adeel Ahmad said. People in border towns said the firing continued well into Friday morning.

“We’re used to hearing exchange of fire between Pakistan and India at the Line of Control, but last night was different,” said Mohammad Shakil, who lives near the frontier in Chakothi sector.

In India, military officials said Pakistani troops barraged their posts overnight with artillery, mortars and gunfire at multiple locations in Indian-controlled Kashmir. They said Indian soldiers responded, triggering fierce exchanges until early dawn.

A woman was killed and two other civilians were injured in Uri sector, police said, taking the civilian death toll in India to 17 since Wednesday. Pakistan said Indian mortar and artillery fire has killed 17 civilians in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the same period.

Indian authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of civilians from villages near the volatile frontier. Thousands of people slept in shelters for a second consecutive night.

A group of Kashmiri village women wait for transport following overnight shelling from Pakistan at Gingal village in Uri district in Indian-administered Kashmir. [Dar Yasin/AP Photo]

India said on May 9 it had repulsed a wave of Pakistani drone and artillery attacks overnight. Islamabad insisted it had not struck targets across the border. [Tauseef Mustafa/AFP]

People who were evacuated from areas near the Line of Control (LoC) following cross-border shelling stand in queues to receive food at a college that was turned into a temporary shelter on the outskirts of Jammu. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]

Indian villagers in Uri, Indian-administered Kashmir, wait for transport to evacuate them. [Tauseef Mustafa/AFP]

A resident inspects his house damaged by Pakistani artillery shelling in Poonch, Indian-administered Kashmir. [Channi Anand/AP Photo]

Villagers evacuate following overnight artillery shelling in Uri. [Tauseef Mustafa/AFP]

People board a truck as they evacuate Gingal village in Uri district. [Dar Yasin/AP Photo]

Evacuated villagers eat a meal at a temporary shelter on the outskirts of Jammu. [Channi Anand/AP Photo]

A view of Gingal village which came under intense overnight shelling. [Dar Yasin/AP Photo]