Message Board

Is US using the Kashmir issue to try and get a permanent foothold in South Asia? Post your views

Srinagar: One civilian was killed and justice Bashir Ahmad Khan of Delhi High Court had a miraculous escape when Pakistani troops resorted to artillery shelling in Drass sector of Jammu and Kashmir on June 30, official sources said.

Zakir Hussain died on the spot as artillery shells fired from across the line of control (LoC), landed at Goshan village of Drass en route to Kargil in frontier region of Ladakh around 2.00 pm (IST), the sources said.

In the shelling, which continued for several hours, justice Khan had escaped as a shell landed just few metres away from his vehicle.

Justice Khan, who was on his way to Kargil, was whisked away to nearby bunker by security forces where he remained for an hour, the sources said.

Later, he reached Kargil safely, they said.

A civilian was killed two days back in Pakistani shelling in the same sector, the sources said.

They said Pakistani troops also indulged in cross-border shelling Keran sector of North Kashmir's Kupwara district on June 30, but no casualty was reported.

The shelling, which stared around 9.00 am (IST) continued for nearly three hours, they said adding Pakistan troops used artillery fire and mortars to target forward posts and villages.

Army troops retaliated, but the casualties suffered by Pakistani side were not known immediately, the sources said.

PTI