Jammu, January 5
In a day-long fierce gunbattle, at least 20 Pakistani bunkers were destroyed and 20 Pakistani soldiers killed across Poonch when Indian forces retaliated with artillery guns, including Bofors, after two Army men were killed and several others wounded in unprovoked Pakistani shelling.

Reports reaching here from Poonch said the Pakistani troops started firing and shelling at 9 a.m. today and by afternoon several Indian bunkers were partially damaged in heavy shelling. The Indian troops retaliated and destroyed at least 20 Pakistani bunkers, including some posts in Langoor and Bakri.

The reports said extensive damage was caused to the Pakistani forces and some of their arms dumps caught fire in the Bofors shelling.

More than 4,000 persons have fled to safer places and have taken shelter in Geeta Bhavan, Islamia School, ITI and several government school buildings. These premises are overcrowded and have caused a problem for the district administration to provide them instant relief.

Defence Ministry sources said the Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling on 10 border villages in Poonch sector. Several houses were partially damaged and two civilians, Tarif Hussain and Mohammad Khalil, were critically wounded in mortar shell explosions in Pony Dhara and Khari Karmara. Several other Indian border villages in Poonch sector, including Durga post, Ze Pad, Gulpur, Nakarkot, Solkar and Maldana were hit by the Pakistani mortar shells.

The sources said the Indian troops, using automatic grenade and rocket launchers and other heavy-calibre weapons, pounded scores of Pakistani posts and bunkers across Poonch and Mala Bela in Akhnoor sector. Several Pakistani bunkers were also destroyed across Rajouri sector.