Fighter jets from the Pakistan air force crossed the Line ofControl in Rajouri area of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and bombarded threelocations, officials and witnesses said.
At around 10am, two fighter jets crossed the LoC in Nowsheraand flew very low, they said, adding that soon, a big explosion was heard inNarian village in a forested area.
The explosion took place around 200 metres from Jammu-Poonchhighway and when a number of vehicles were playing on the road.
“Something came from the sky and fell on a hillock, and thena loud explosion took place,” a man, who runs a shop near site of theexplosion, said.
“Soon after the explosion, army teams took control of thearea. Even the police were not allowed to approach the site,” he said.
As the Pakistani fighter jets were several kilometers insidethe LoC, two explosions also took place at Bhimber Gali area, including one atDareri village, local residents said.
“The explosions were very loud and clearly heard inManjakote. A strong vibration was also felt here,” Parvez Khan, a resident ofManjakote, said.
A police official said a two-year-old girl, identified asReeba Kouser, daughter of Muhammad Kabir of Derari BG, was injured by asplinter in her foot. The child was removed to a local medical centre forfirst-aid.
A source said amid the alleged airspace violation byPakistani fighter jets, a couple of explosions also took place near the LoC inLam Pukharni area of Rajouri district.
A man, identified as Bagh Hussain son of Alam Din ofMammankote in Mahore tehsil of Reasi district, was critically injured after anaerial bomb exploded in the village.
Local residents said a big explosion took place “assomething fell on ground from the air”.
Hussain was evacuated to a hospital in Jammu in a criticalcondition.
Meanwhile, villagers in Lam and Pukharni villages inNowshera area along the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu andKashmir recounted the “horror” of seeing a fighter jet, probably from India,falling to the ground like a fireball on Wednesday morning.
Muhammad Shafiq, a resident of Pukharni, said he saw fighterjets scrambling in the sky above his home.
“I am constructing a bunker in my house and around ninepersons were present at the site when all this happened,” said Shafiq, addingthat earlier, two fighter planes came in from the LoC side and later threefighter planes returned.
“As the aircraft were flying low, we were able to see all ofthem and it seemed as if one was chasing the other two,” he said.
Later, Shafiq said, something like a fireball came down infront of his eyes on the hills “which I believe are in Pakistan-administeredKashmir”.
“We thought it was some explosive or something else droppedby the aircraft, but later we came to know that one of the jets has been blownup,” he said.
Another border resident said that seeing an aircraft blowingup in flames for the first time “triggered panic in the area”.
“Cross-border firing and shelling are a routine in our areabut we saw an aircraft collapsing for the first time in life,” said NaseerAhmed, another villager.
“One of the planes blew up above our head when we all hadour eyes on the sky and the fireball fell in the PaK side.”
Meanwhile, cross-border shelling resumed in Krishna Ghatiand Balakote areas of Mendhar (Poonch) on Wednesday evening.
Witnesses said intense mortar shelling started in KrishnaGhati as well as Balakote and forward areas of Mendhar sub-division at 6pm.
An official said the army from this side is “heavilyretaliating to the firing by the Pakistan army”.
A Jammu-based army spokesman said “Pakistan initiatedunprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of smallarms along LoC in Mendhar and Krishna Ghati sectors”.
The Indian army is retaliating strongly and effectively, hesaid.
ARMY, BSF PUT ON HIGHEST DEGREE OF ALERTNESS
Meanwhile, the army and BSF have been put on the highestdegree of alertness along the border in Jammu, officials said.
Authorities have ordered temporary closure of educationalinstitutions within a five-km radius along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouriand Poonch districts on Wednesday amid mounting tensions between the twocountries.
All residents of the border areas have been asked to remaininside their homes and not venture outside.
“Army and BSF have been put on highest alert along the LoCand International Border (IB) in view of the high degree of tension in wake ofair space violations,” officials said.
Authorities in Rajouri ordered closure of educationalinstitutions from zero to five km radius along Line of Control.
Deputy commissioner Rajouri Mohammad Aijaz Assad saidkeeping in view the prevailing situation and as a precautionary measure, allgovernment and private schools upto 10+2 level within 0-5 km distance from theLoC in district Rajouri shall remain closed on February 28.
(with PTI inputs)