Trepidation at Ground Zero of Pak shelling

Pakistani shelling along the LoC killed 16 civilians in Poonch, prompting mass evacuations as locals describe the bombardment as the heaviest in decades.

Jammu: Pakistani artillery and mortar fire along the Line of Control (LoC) left 16 civilians dead, including three women and five children, forcing an exodus from Jammu and Kashmir’s border district of Poonch.

People move to a safer place as part of an evacuation amid shelling from Pakistan, after the Indian Army's 'Operation Sindoor', in Poonch district, on Wednesday. (PTI)

The devastating bombardment—described by locals as the heaviest in decades—intensified on Wednesday, hours after Indian armed forces conducted airstrikes on nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor, the external affairs ministry confirmed on Thursday.

“Over 200 mortar shells were fired in