A tragic incident occurred in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Jhelum Valley, where a leopard killed an eight-year-old girl near the Line of Control (LoC). According to police, the attack took place in the village of Pando Nala, located about 15 kilometers from Chinari and 65 kilometers from Muzaffarabad. The incident has left the entire area in deep shock and fear.
The victim, identified as Javeria bint Ghulam Mustafa Awan, was a second-grade student. She was playing in the courtyard of her home when a leopard suddenly appeared and dragged her away. Her family and neighbors immediately began searching nearby fields and forests in a desperate attempt to locate her.
After nearly three hours of intense searching, the girl’s lifeless body was found in a dense bushy area, around half a kilometer from her house. A police officer from Chinari Police Station, Abdul Waheed, confirmed the heartbreaking discovery and shared the details of the leopard’s attack.
According to the officer, the leopard reportedly bit Javeria on the neck and sucked her blood before abandoning her body in the bushes and fleeing into the nearby forest. The gruesome nature of the attack has left residents shaken and in mourning.
Since the attack, many villagers have confined themselves to their homes, fearing further wild animal encounters. The presence of a predator so close to residential areas has raised serious concerns about wildlife threats in border villages. Authorities are being urged to take action to prevent similar tragedies.
This horrifying event has sparked a wave of fear throughout the region, with many calling for immediate measures to control wild animals near human settlements. Local officials are expected to visit the area and offer support to the grieving family.