Rajouri’s additional deputy commissioner Raj Kumar Thappa and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army were among six persons who were on Saturday killed after Pakistan escalated its artillery and drone attacks in the civilian areas of the border towns of Jammu and Kashmir. An infant and a woman were among those killed.

The JCO Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, belonging to the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, was killed in Pakistani shelling in the Poonch district.

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A soldier and a civilian were also killed on Friday evening taking the civilian death toll to 19 in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch since Wednesday when the cross-border shelling by Pakistan intensified.

The Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for each family of those who have lost their lives in the cross-border shelling.

Thappa and his two staff members were critically injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in the Rajouri town. They were rushed to the Government Medical College, where Thappa succumbed to his injuries. Condition of his staff members is stated to be critical, according to officials.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has condoled Thappa’s death.

He wrote on X; “Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district & attended the online meeting I chaired”.

“Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they targeted Rajouri town killing our Additional District Development Commissioner Sh Raj Kumar Thappa. I’ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace”, the CM added.

Two more persons, 2-year-old Aisha Noor and 35-year-old Mohammad Shohib from Bihar, were killed, and three others injured in Pakistani shelling near an industrial area in Rajouri town, officials said.

A 62-years old Rashida Bi, of Kangra Gultha in the border area of Poonch was killed in Pakistani shelling this morning at about 5 am when Pakistani drones and artillery shells were fired indiscriminately in Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, Udhampur, Uri in Baramulla and other border areas. Three persons were injured in intense shelling in Poonch and evacuated to a hospital.

In another incident, Ashok Kumar of Bidipur Jattan village was killed in cross-border firing in the RS Pura sector of Jammu district. A local journalist was injured in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri.

Residents of Uri close to the Line of Control were fleeing to safer locations to escape shelling from Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the residence of Thappa where he met his parents and expressed profound grief over the loss, the Chief Minister extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, acknowledging the officer’s outstanding dedication and supreme sacrifice. “His service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. The Government stands firmly with his family in this hour of grief,” Omar Abdullah said.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister also visited the areas of Rehari and Roopnagar in Jammu to assess the damage caused by the cross-border shelling, which continued for the second night in a row. “The pain and disruption faced by residents is deeply concerning. We stand with every affected family and will ensure all necessary support is provided without delay,” he stated.