RAJOURI, MAY 10 – A senior Indian administrative officer was killed on Saturday after a mortar shell fired from across the border struck his residence in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said, amid intensifying hostilities in the region.
Raj Kumar Thappa, Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) of Rajouri, sustained critical injuries when a shell reportedly landed directly on his home. He succumbed shortly after being transported to a nearby hospital, according to official sources.
The incident marks a significant escalation in cross-border violence, which has seen increased shelling in recent days. Security officials said the area remains tense, with continued shelling reported along forward locations in Rajouri.
Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, expressed grief over Thappa’s death in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district… Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling,” Abdullah wrote. “May his soul rest in peace.”
Senior government and military officials have arrived at the site of the incident to assess the situation. No official statement has been issued yet.
Cross-border exchanges of fire between Indian and Pakistani forces have remained a persistent issue along the Line of Control (LoC), despite previous ceasefire agreements. Tensions escalated following the Pahalgam attack on April 22, the subsequent Operation Sindoor, and growing Indo-Pak hostilities. Civilian and administrative casualties, however, remain relatively rare and are likely to prompt further diplomatic responses.
Further details on the incident and any additional casualties are awaited.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
