M S Nazki
Two more people have died due to Pakistani shelling in Jammu region, takjng the toll to five, officials said on Saturday.
They said that a woman identified as Rashida Bi wife of Munshi Khan of Keri Kangra died in Mendhar area of Poonch while Ashok Kumar son of Baldev Raj of Bidipur Jatta died in RS Pura Jammu.
This is besides death of three persons including a officer of administration earlier, officials added.
As reported, a senior administrative officer and two other persons including a minor from Bihar were killed in Pakistan shelling in Rajouri district.
A senior official confirmed the death of Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thappa after his residence was hit by Pakistan shell during intervening night of May 9 and 10.
The official said that Kumar was seriously injured and died before being admitted at GMC Rajouri.
He said two more bodies were recieved at the GMC Rajouri and they too had died due to Pakistan shelling.
The duo are said to be residents of Bihar and one of them was 2-year-old boy. The other is said to 35-year-old man and both died after being hit by shelling in an Industrial area in the Rajouri district, they said.
Meanwhile Chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed sadness and termed Kumar’s death as “terrible loss of life.” “Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district & attended the online meeting I chaired,” Omar said in a post on X, adding, “Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they targeted Rajouri town killing our Additional District Development Commissioner Sh Raj Kumar Thappa. I’ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace”.
