New Delhi, May 7: Fifteen innocent civilians have been killed and 43 injured in artillery firing by the Pakistan Army since yesterday night which has hit civilian areas in Poonch and Tangdhar, defence sources said on Wednesday.

Pakistan Army has targeted civilian areas in the border areas. The shelling caused panic among villagers and damaged several houses.

After Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Army continued its series of ceasefire violations by targeting civilian areas in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. Officials said the shelling caused panic among villagers and damaged several houses.

Shelling by Pakistan damaged civilian infrastructure, shattered window panes and cracked walls.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also held an emergency meeting with officials over the current situation in border areas.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that the Indian Armed Forces displayed their valour and bravery in Operation Sindoor, scripting a new history, and took action against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and POJK with "precision, alertness and sensitivity".

Speaking at an event for the inauguration of 50 Border Roads Organisation infrastructure projects across six states and two UTs, Rajnath Singh said that the armed forces showed sensitivity in ensuring that the civilian population is not affected during their action.

He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his full support to the armed forces.

India's precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure came in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.

"You know that today, under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi, our Indian armed forces have made us all proud... Last night, our Indian armed forces displayed their valour and bravery, and scripted a new history. Indian armed forces took action with precision, alertness and sensitiveness. The targets we decided where accurately demolished with precision.. Our armed forces also showed sensitivity in ensuring that the civilian population is not affected at all," Rajnath Singh said. "In a way, we can say that Indian jawans showed precision, alertness and humanity. On behalf of the entire country, I congratulate the jawans and officers," he added.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has strongly condemned the inhuman attack by Pakistani forces on the sacred Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Poonch.

In a social media post on X, condemning the inhuman attack,Badal stated that three Sikhs have lost their lives.

As per Badal's office, the deceased have been identified as Amrik Singh Ji (a raagi Singh), Bhai Amarjeet Singh and Ranjit Singh.

The SAD leader expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and demanded an adequate compensation to support them in their time of grief.

"Strongly condemn the inhuman attack by Pakistani forces on the sacred Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Poonch, in which three innocent Gursikhs, including Bhai Amrik Singh Ji (a raagi Singh), Bhai Amarjeet Singh and Bhai Ranjit Singh lost their lives. The Shiromani Akali Dal expresses complete solidarity with the families of the deceased Gursikhs and prays for peace for the departed and courage for their friends and loved ones. We demand that the martyrs be honored for their sacrifice and that the bereaved families receive adequate compensation to support them in their time of grief. The Sikhs have always been, and will continue to be, the sword arm of the country. We stand like a rock with our armed forces. Although the Shiromani Akali Dal and our country stand for peace, if our honor is challenged by the enemy, we need no reminder to fulfill our patriotic duties," Badal said in a post on X.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also condemned the incident stating that targeting the common people is completely wrong. He also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

"There has been news of a bomb attack by Pakistan on a Gurdwara Sahib located near the LOC in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. In this attack, a Ragi Singh Bhai Amrik Singh, Amarjit Singh, Ranjit Singh and Ruby Kaur have died. Where prayers are offered for the well-being of all, such an attack is highly condemnable. Targeting the common people is completely wrong. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. It is a prayer to Guru Sahib that He may place the departed souls at His feet and give strength to the families to bear this unbearable pain," Chief Minister Mann posted on X.

Earlier in the day, at a joint briefing on Operation Sindoor in which nine terrorist camps were targeted with precision strikes, Foreign Secretay Vikram Misri said the terror attack in Pahalgam was marked with extreme barbarity, with the victims mostly killed with head shots at close range and in front of their family.

“The family members were deliberately traumatised through the manner of killing, accompanied by the exhortation that they should take back the message. The attack was clearly driven by the objective of undermining normalcy returning to Kashmir," he said.

Misri said that Indian intelligence agencies had been monitoring terrorist activities and raised concerns regarding more terrorist attacks in India.

"Our intelligence indicated that further attacks against India are impending. Thus, compulsion, both to deter and prevent and hence earlier this morning, India exercised its right to respond to deter such more cross-border terrorism... Our actions were measured and non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible. They focused on dismantling terrorists' infrastructure," he said.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh informed that a total of nine terror sites were targeted and successfully destroyed. She asserted that the locations were selected so that there was no damage to civilians and their infrastructures.

"Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families. Nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed... The locations were so selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructures and loss of any civilian lives, she said.

Col Sofiya Qureshi showed some videos of the strikes destroying terror camps.

The Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ early Wednesday.

Twenty-six people were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack. The government had said that the perpetrators will face severe punishment.

(ANI)

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