Jammu, May 10: A senior government official was killed and his two staff members were critically injured in Pakistani shelling in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir early Saturday, officials said. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Raj Kumar Thapa and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his residence in Rajouri town, the officials said.

They were rushed to the Government Medical College. Thapa succumbed to his injuries while the condition of his staff members is stated to be critical, according to the officials. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condoled Thapa's death. Jammu and Kashmir: Surface-to-Air Missile Systems Activated in Srinagar, Heavy Engagement Ongoing With Pakistan (Watch Videos).

"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. India Hits Back Hard After Pakistan Targets 26 Locations; Intermittent Firing at Multiple Places Along LoC (Watch Videos).

"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," the chief minister said in a post on X.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)