A Catholic school and convent in India came under shelling from Pakistani military forces last week, with three students killed, as fighting between the two countries broke out before ending quickly over the weekend. Source: CNA.
“One shell fell near our Christ School campus at Poonch, killing a twin brother and sister. The siblings were our students,” Jammu Bishop Ivan Pereira said.
The Jammu Diocese covers the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Another shell fell over the convent of the Carmelites of Mary Congregation. But it damaged only the water tank and solar panels. The school has been closed and the nuns have been moved to a distant convent,” Bishop Pereira said.
“Now the priests, nuns, and laypeople are engaged in arranging safer places for the fleeing people and arranging them night shelters,” he added.
Indian security forces launched aerial assaults against what they said were nine terrorist centres inside Pakistan early on May 7. The attack left 31 dead.
The Indian government blamed Pakistan for allegedly supporting terrorists active on the Indian side of Kashmir, including the reported April 22 mass killing of 26 non-Muslim male tourists in the Pahalgam valley of Kashmir.
Following the Indian assault, Pakistani security forces intensified ongoing shelling in border areas, especially in the vulnerable Poonch township, located only 13kms from the border.
“The two students who died were hit by splinters from shelling when they were moving out to flee the area with their parents after their house was hit by a shell,” Fr Shijo Kanjirathingal, the principal of the Christ School in Pooch, said.
“A third student from our school was hit on the head by splinters in a moving vehicle,” the priest said.
“The shelling was very intense [on Wednesday morning] and shells hit the houses near the school compound. Though no shell hit our school buildings, a lot of glass panes have been shattered from splinters,” Fr Kanjirathingal said.
The two countries announced a cessation of hostilities over the weekend, with the conflict ending abruptly after just a few days of fighting. The agreement appeared to be holding yesterday.
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Catholic school hit, 3 students killed in India-Pakistan conflict (By Anto Akkara, CNA)
