MUZAFFARABAD: A villager of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) lost his life on Wednesday evening after an Indian sniper shot at him from across the restive Line of Control (LoC) while he was heading home on a motorbike, officials said.

Chaudhry Ansar Mahmood, said to be in his mid-thirties, was about to reach his home in Gohra Mehri hamlet when he fell victim to the savagery of some trigger-happy soldier in an Indian post, situated at a stone’s throw from the spot, deputy commissioner Bhimber Qaiser Aurangzeb told Dawn by telephone.

Gohra Mehri hamlet is part of the revenue village Kahanwaliyan in Samahni subdivision of Bhimber district. Milit­ary refers to this area as Baghsar sector.

“He was struck by a single bullet that pierced the right side of his body through the ribs,” DC Aurangzeb said.

A group of undaunted villagers took the victim to the nearest health fa­­cility in Bandala but he did not survive due to excessive blood loss, he added.

The deceased was said to be the elder son of his parents and a father of three daughters. His funeral would be held at 1pm on Thursday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations confirmed the martyrdom of Mr Mahmood due to “unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian army in Baghsar sector”.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2020