A Class 9 student was killed in cross-border firing along the Line of Control in Pooch, Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday evening, reports said. A defence ministry spokesperson said the firing took place around 4.55 pm and that the Indian Army was retaliating to “indiscriminate fire from small arms, automatics and mortars on Army posts along the LoC”.

Since the Army’s “surgical strikes” on militant camps along the LoC, more than 25 civilians have been killed in such incidents.

The state has faced several militant attacks and civilian protests since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani on July 8. More than 90 people have been killed in unrest in the past five months, and hundreds have sustained grievous injuries during protests. The Valley has been left paralysed by frequent shutdown calls by separatist groups. The unrest in the state has also contributed to the worsening ties between India and Pakistan.