India, May 10 -- Five people, including a senior Jammu and Kashmir government official, were killed as intense mortar shelling and drone strikes by Pakistan hit Jammu region early on Saturday, officials said. This takes the civilian toll to 19 in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch since the cross-border hostilities escalated since Wednesday night.

Raj Kumar Thapa, the additional district development commissioner, and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in Rajouri town. They were rushed to the Government Medical College, where Thapa succumbed to his injuries.

Condoling Thapa's death, chief minister Omar Abdullah posted on X, "We have lost a dedicated officer of the ...