Chandigarh, May 7 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the "attack" on a gurdwara in Poonch by Pakistan, leading to the death of four Sikhs on Wednesday.

At least 12 people, including four children, were killed and 57 others injured as the Pakistan Army carried out heavy artillery and mortar shelling on forward villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

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The intense cross-border shelling began shortly after India launched missiles on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the April 22 terror attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam that had left 26 civilians dead.

The worst-hit in the Pakistani shelling was Poonch district which accounted for all the civilian deaths, the officials said. They said 42 people were injured and some of them are in a critical condition.

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Expressing grief over the deaths, Mann said Amrik Singh, Amarjeet Singh, Ranjit Singh and Ruby Kaur lost their lives in a ghastly bombardment by Pakistan at a sacred place where prayers are held for the well-being of all.

In a statement, Mann said it is unfortunate that Pakistan targets innocent people with such barbaric acts.

(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)