Morning strikes by Pak military: JCO, BSF trooper among 7 killed
projectile debris found at many border areas
Jammu/Pathankot, May 10 (PTI): Seven persons, including a JCO and a BSF trooper, were killed and several others injured in mortar shelling and drone strikes by Pakistani military early Saturday in India's border districts where debris of unidentified projectiles were also found and a crater was formed in an agricultural field.
However, as the day was drawing to a close, India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect after four days of cross-border strikes that triggered fears of a wider conflict.
After witnessing intense cross-border shelling over the past three days, border residents heaved a sigh of relief.
After a night of bristling tension, India woke up Saturday to reports of sounds of explosions, drone attacks and mortar shelling coming in from Jammu and Kashmir and several places in Punjab.
BSF sub-inspector Mohammed Imteyaz was killed and seven others were injured in Pakistani firing along the International Border in Jammu's R S Pura sector.
Eight BSF personnel were injured in Pakistani shelling along the international border (IB) in Jammu's R S Pura sector. They are being treated at a military medical facility.
In Jammu's Rajouri, Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thapa and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in the town, officials said.
They were shifted to the nearby Government Medical College where Thapa succumbed to injuries.
Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, laid down his life when a Pakistani artillery shell exploded near his post in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch this morning.
Two-year-old Aisha Noor and Mohd Shohib (35) were killed and three others injured in Pakistani shelling near an industrial area in Rajouri town, the officials said.
A 55-year-old woman named Rashida Bi also lost her life when a mortar shell hit her house at Kanghra-Galhutta village in Mendhar sector of Poonch district.
In another incident, Ashok Kumar alias Shoki, a resident of Bidipur Jatta village, was killed in cross-border firing in the R S Pura, the officials said.
Three more persons were also injured in intense shelling in Poonch and were evacuated to a hospital, they said, adding a local journalist was injured in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri.
Zakir Hussain (45) was killed and two others, including a girl, were injured in Pakistani shelling in Kheri Keran village of Bantalab in the outskirts of Jammu, the officials said.
Four persons were injured when artillery shells and suspected drones hit some residential areas in Jammu, including Rehari and Roop Nagar in Jammu city.
These strikes in the morning followed after Pakistan launched a wave of drone attacks targeting 26 locations in India -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- for the second night on Friday.
The locations included Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir, Ferozpur, Pathankot and Fazilka in Punjab, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan, and Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala in Gujarat.
In Punjab, debris of unidentified projectiles was found in Beas in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Pathankot and Dubli village in Tarn Taran districts.
In Gurdaspur's village Rajubela Chhichhran, residents said a crater -- around 35 feet wide and 15 feet deep -- was formed following a loud blast in the early hours of Saturday.
A police official said no one was hurt in the incident. However, there was damage to electrical wires in the incident.
After learning about the crater in the field, many curious villagers, including youngsters, reached the site and started clicking pictures on their mobile phones.
In Phagwara, an unidentified object fell in a field between Khalyan and Sahni villages in Phagwara district early Saturday, officials said.
Locals said an explosion-like sound was heard around 2.40 am from the fields at Khalyan village towards Sahni.
The impact of the unidentified object created a crater about 7-8 feet deep and 12-14 feet wide in the field, the officials said.
Some parts of the unidentified object were found lying scattered in the field.
Authorities have asked people not to touch any part of any unidentified projectile lying on ground and to inform local police about it.
An unidentified projectile also landed in a residential area at Kanganiwal village in Jalandhar district early morning.
The locals said a migrant labourer was injured in the incident, while a few houses in the area also sustained damages.
Pathankot went into alert mode after explosion-like sounds were heard in the border district early morning, with the local authorities ordering closure of markets in the region as a precautionary measure.
After a night of bristling tension, people woke up to explosion-like sounds in Pathankot and Jalandhar districts, while air sirens rang out in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Ferozepur amid a sharp upturn in the military conflict between India and Pakistan.
Punjab shares a 532-km border with Pakistan.
In Haryana's Sirsa too, some locals claimed they heard blast-like sounds after midnight.
In Rajasthan, markets in Barmer and Jaisalmer remained closed during the day as a precautionary measure.
Multiple drone attacks were attempted by Pakistan on the night of Friday in Jaisalmer and Barmer districts. However, the drones were neutralized mid-air by the Indian defence forces.
Debris of suspected drones were found at different locations in Barmer and Jaisalmer district Saturday morning.
Tensions between India and Pakistan soared significantly after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had cross-border linkages.
India shares a total of 3,323 km of border with Pakistan, divided into three parts: the International Border (IB), approximately 2,400 km from Gujarat to the northern banks of the Chenab river in Akhnoor, Jammu; the 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC), running from parts of Jammu to parts of Leh; and the Actual Ground Position Line, 110 km long, dividing the Siachen region from NJ 9842 to Indira Col in the north.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
