• Source:JND
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In an unfortunate development, a senior official of the Jammu and Kashmir administration has lost his life in the Pakistani shelling in Rajouri. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condoled the demise of the Additional District Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Thappa.

He said, "Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district & attended the online meeting I chaired. Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they targeted Rajouri town killing our Additional District Development Commissioner Sh Raj Kumar Thappa. I’ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace."

Additional Deputy Commissioner Thapa, along with his two staff members, was seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his residence in Rajouri town, the officials said. 

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They were rushed to the Government Medical College immediately. Thapa succumbed to his injuries during the treatment. The condition of his staff members is stated to be critical, according to the officials.

This comes as civilian areas have come under heavy shelling from the Pakistan Army after India conducted targeted strikes against terrorists' hideouts, camps, and launching pads inside Pakistan's Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives.

Several visuals from cities in Jammu and Kashmir have surfaced showing devastated houses. Since India launched Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has increased ceasefire violations that have killed over a dozen civilians so far.

In a separate incident of targeting the civilian population, three members of a family were injured in Punjab's Ferozpur in Pakistan's drone attack. Retaliating against the strikes, India struck four Pakistani airbases.

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