Fifteen civilians have been killed and 43 wounded after intense artillery fire by the Pakistan Army struck border villages in Poonch and Tangdhar overnight, Indian authorities said on Wednesday. Residential areas bore the brunt of the shelling, which shattered windows, cracked walls and reduced sections of homes to rubble, sending panicked families fleeing for safety.
Local Sikh leaders decried the deliberate targeting of the Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Poonch, where three worshippers lost their lives.
Narinder Singh, president of the Poonch Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, described the havoc wrought by the shelling. “Our neighbour has no sense at all,” he said in a video message.
“Nearly 12 people in Poonch proper have died—five from the Sikh community and the rest Muslim. A shell hit one corner of our gurdwara, shattering a door and glass panes.”
He urged state and central authorities to restore security along the Line of Control.
Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib (Akal Takht, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs), has strongly condemned the attack in the Poonch region of Kashmir.
Jathedar Gargajj stated that during Pakistan’s retaliatory shelling in Poonch, following India’s Operation Sindoor, the central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha was hit.
“Three Gursikhs were killed – Bhai Amrik Singh (a raagi), Bhai Amarjeet Singh (a retired army soldier), and Bhai Ranjit Singh (a local shopkeeper).”
Additionally, reports have emerged of a Sikh woman named Ruby Kaur being killed in the Mankote area. Other civilian casualties in Poonch have also come to light. The Jathedar offered prayers for the spiritual peace of those who lost their lives and strength for their families to endure the loss.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the attack as “inhuman,” identifying the deceased as Bhai Amrik Singh Ji, a raagi; Bhai Amarjeet Singh, a former army soldier; and Bhai Ranjit Singh, a shopkeeper.
“We demand that the martyrs be honoured for their sacrifice and that the bereaved families receive adequate compensation to support them in their time of grief,” Mr Badal said, vowing solidarity with India’s armed forces.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann similarly expressed outrage at the bombing of a place of worship. In a social media statement, he said, “Targeting the common people is completely wrong. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.” He added a prayer that Guru Sahib grant peace to the departed and strength to their loved ones.
The renewed civilian toll followed India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, prompting a fresh wave of ceasefire violations by Islamabad’s forces. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened an emergency meeting to coordinate relief and bolster defences in the affected sectors.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the Indian military’s recent precision strikes, saying they had been executed with “precision, alertness and sensitiveness” to avoid civilian harm.
“Our jawans showed precision, alertness and humanity,” he said.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated that India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack was “measured and non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible,” aimed solely at dismantling terrorist infrastructure.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told reporters that in Operation Sindoor, “nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed,” emphasising that locations were chosen to protect civilian lives and property. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi showed footage of destroyed camps, including training grounds linked to militant groups.
As shelling continued into Wednesday, villagers remained fearful of further strikes. Community leaders called for urgent diplomatic efforts to restore a ceasefire and protect civilians, while Sikhs and other border residents prayed for peace amid the cross-border violence.
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