New Delhi: A gurdwara in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch town came under heavy shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday, killing four Sikh civilians and drawing strong condemnation from the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs.
According to reports, 12 civilians have been killed in the cross-LoC shelling. Among the dead was Amrik Singh, a devotional singer (raagi) at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, where the shelling took place. Also killed were Amarjeet Singh, a retired Army serviceman; Ranjeet Singh, a shopkeeper; and Balvinder Kour alias Ruby, a local resident of Mankote. 57 others were injured in the heavy artillery and mortar shelling by Pakistan on the forward villages along the LoC.
‘War harms humanity’: Akal Takht Jathedar calls for peace
Reacting to the attack, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the officiating Jathedar of the Akal Takht, called for restraint and dialogue. “War always harms humanity and often results in the death of innocent people. Every possible effort must be made to resolve the current situation,” he said in a statement posted on X.
War is Always Dangerous for Humanity. Strongly condemns killing of civilians and attack on Gurdwara in Poonch by Pakistani shelling. pic.twitter.com/tcf8QA4gdh
— Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj (@J_SriAkalTakht) May 7, 2025
The Jathedar expressed condolences for the victims and prayed for peace in the region. He noted that since Partition, Hindu and Sikh communities in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir have repeatedly borne the brunt of cross-border hostilities.
Operation Sindoor: India strikes 9 terror targets in PoK
Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory mission in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. According to defence officials, the strikes were based on “credible intelligence” and targeted terror infrastructure inside Pakistani territory.
