Senior J&K Official, Toddler Among Five Killed in Devastating Pakistani Shelling and Drone Strikes Across Jammu Region
By The Bold News Desk
Jammu, May 10: In one of the most intense escalations in recent times, five civilians — including a senior Jammu and Kashmir government officer and a two-year-old girl — lost their lives in a wave of indiscriminate mortar shelling and drone attacks launched by Pakistan across several districts of the Jammu region early Saturday morning.
The cross-border aggression began late Friday night and continued into the early hours of Saturday, triggering panic and chaos across both urban and rural parts of the region. Residents of Jammu city and surrounding towns were jolted awake by the sound of air raid sirens and multiple explosions at around 5:00 am, while border dwellers spent a sleepless night under relentless bombardment from across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB).
According to defence sources, Pakistani forces not only resorted to heavy shelling but also deployed drones to target civilian infrastructure and populated areas, marking a dangerous escalation. “This blatant and provocative act is a clear violation of international norms and India’s sovereignty. Our armed forces are fully prepared to neutralize any such threats and will give a befitting response,” said a senior Army official.
One of the most tragic incidents occurred in Rajouri district, where Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Raj Kumar Thapa sustained critical injuries when a shell struck his official residence. Despite being rushed to Government Medical College, Jammu, Thapa succumbed to his injuries. Two of his staff members were also injured in the attack.
Mourning the loss, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep sorrow and shock over Thapa’s death. “Just yesterday, he was accompanying the Deputy Chief Minister and had participated in an online administrative meeting. Today, he has fallen to Pakistani shelling while serving his district with dedication. This is a devastating loss to our administration,” the Chief Minister said in a heartfelt message on X.
In another tragic incident, a two-year-old girl, Aisha Noor, and a 35-year-old man, Mohammad Shohib, lost their lives when shells landed near an industrial area in Rajouri town. Three others were reported injured in the same attack.
Separately, in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district, 55-year-old Rashida Bi was killed when a mortar shell exploded inside her home in Kanghra-Galhutta village. Meanwhile, Ashok Kumar, also known as Shoki, a resident of Bidipur Jatta village in R S Pura, was fatally hit by gunfire during cross-border firing along the International Border.
Multiple areas of Jammu, including Rehari and Roop Nagar, were impacted by suspected drone strikes and artillery shells, causing injuries to several civilians. Among the injured is a local journalist in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri, highlighting the increasing risk to non-combatants and media personnel on the ground.
The Border Security Force (BSF) confirmed that unprovoked firing by Pakistan began at around 9:00 pm on May 9, targeting BSF posts in the Jammu sector. “Our forces responded with precision, causing significant damage to Pakistan Rangers’ posts and assets. Our resolve to safeguard India’s territorial integrity remains unshaken,” BSF Jammu said in an official statement.
These latest attacks come on the heels of coordinated drone strikes by Pakistan over two consecutive nights, targeting 26 locations across multiple Indian states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Key targets included Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, and Bhuj among others.
This escalation follows Indian precision strikes earlier in the week targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which investigations confirmed had direct cross-border involvement.
As the situation remains volatile, security forces across the affected regions are on high alert, and the government is closely monitoring developments. Relief and rescue operations are underway, while the administration has activated emergency protocols in vulnerable areas to protect civilian lives and property.
