Jammu, May 11 -- At least eight people, including three security personnel and a senior government official, were killed during heavy artillery shelling and drone strikes by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir, officials said on Saturday. With this, the toll in shelling by Pakistan troops since Wednesday has mounted to 23. A Border Security Force (BSF) official, identified as sub-inspector Md Imteyaz, died during cross-border firing along the International Border (IB) in RS Pura area of Jammu district on Saturday, the force said. "While leading a BSF border out post, he gallantly led from the front. DG BSF and all ranks offer their deepest condolences to his family," BSF Jammu said in a post on X. In Poonch sector, a junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the army, identified as Subedar Major Pawan Kumar from Shahpur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, died when an artillery shell exploded near his post in Poonch sector on Saturday morning. Kumar was part of the 25 Punjab Regiment. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his grief over the incident. An IAF sergeant, identified as Surendra Kumar, was also killed in action after three Pakistan missiles hit Udhampur air base on Saturday morning, said a defence official. Officials said that Pakistan resorted to heavy artillery firing and mortar shelling in Rajouri, Poonch, RS Pura and Akhnoor sectors . Rajouri additional district development commissioner Raj Kumar Thappawas killed when an artillery shell hit his official residence. Thapa was rushed to the government medical college, where he succumbed to his injuries. Two more people, identified as Aisha Noor (2) and Mohammad Shohib (35), were also killed during Saturday's shelling near an industrial area in Rajouri town. In Poonch, Rashida Bi (62), and in Jammu's Ban Talab Zakir Hussain (45) were killed in shelling....