The death toll continues to rise following a series of Indian missile attacks and shelling in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab, with at least 24 people martyred and 61 others injured in the past 24 hours.
The attacks have heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, who remain locked in a volatile stand-off along the Line of Control (LoC).
Casualties in Bahawalpur
In the Bahawalpur district of Punjab, a missile strike carried out by Indian forces resulted in the tragic deaths of 13 civilians, including 7 women, 4 men, and 2 children.
The attack, which targeted a residential area, also left 36 others injured, many of whom are undergoing treatment at Bahawal Victoria Hospital.
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Local authorities have confirmed that emergency response teams are working round the clock to assist the injured, while the situation remains critical.
The missile strike is being seen as one of the deadliest in recent months, and many families are still searching for loved ones.
Casualties in Azad Kashmir
In Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), a series of Indian shelling and missile attacks targeted several areas, resulting in 9 martyrs and 9 others injured.
Among the worst-hit regions was Poonch Division, where 3 civilians lost their lives and 4 others were wounded in the Nakial area of Kotli.
Further south in Haveli District, 2 people were martyred following a similar attack. Poonch Division as a whole suffered 3 more martyrs, including women and children, with several injured residents receiving emergency medical care.
Strike in Muridke
Meanwhile, in Muridke, Punjab, a missile strike by Indian forces targeted the Government Health and Educational Complex, a civilian building. The attack resulted in 2 people being martyred and 12 others being injured, with many of the wounded in critical condition. Rescue teams are working tirelessly at the site to rescue survivors and administer aid to the injured.
ISPR DG on Indian strikes
The Indian military carried out 24 attacks on six different locations across Pakistan late on Tuesday night, targeting civilian areas, places of worship, and residential neighbourhoods, the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) said in a high-level press briefing.
According to the military spokesperson, at least eight Pakistani citizens, including women and a young girl, were martyred, while 35 others sustained injuries in the strikes.
Among the worst-hit areas were Muzaffarabad, Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Shakargarh, Sialkot (Kotli Lohara), and Kotli in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
