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‘New low even for Pakistan’: Religious sites targeted in shelling, says foreign secy
A Pakistani shell hit the home of two Christ School students in Poonch, killing both and seriously injuring their parents, Vikram Misri said.
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri on Friday said that Pakistan targeted places of worship with a specific intent, calling it a new low for the country.
“During heavy shelling across the Line of Control in the early morning of 7th May, a shell fired from Pakistan landed just behind the Christ School run by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate congregation in Poonch,” said Vikrami Misri.
“Tragically, the shell fired from Pakistan hit the home of two students of the Christ School, both students unfortunately lost their lives, and their parents were severely injured,” he added.
The foreign secretary said that another shell struck a Christian convent of nuns, belonging to the congregation of the Mother of Carmel, damaging water tanks and destroying solar panel infrastructure.
“Several priests, nuns, school staff, and local residents took refuge in an underground hall beneath the Christ School during the shelling by Pakistan. The school happened to be closed at the time, fortunately; otherwise, more losses would have occurred,” Vikram Misri.
“We have seen the Pakistani side targeting and shelling places of worship with a particular design, which includes Gurudwars, these convents, and temples. This is a new low even for Pakistan,” he added.
Vikram Misri also slammed Pakistan’s farcical denial of its attempted strikes on Indian targets, calling it a blatant display of duplicity. He asserted that the Indian armed forces delivered a proportionate and decisive response to Pakistan’s provocations.
Four Sikhs were among the civilians killed in Pakistani shelling in Poonch district, following India's missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK under Operation Sindoor on Wednesday.
The Pakistani Army on Thursday night resorted to heavy firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, Uri, Kupwara, Tangdhar, and Karnah sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, as tensions escalate with India.
Several people were injured, homes and vehicles were damaged, after Pakistan's shelling across the LoC, which has been going on for three days
