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New Delhi: The defence ministry on Tuesday (March 24) informed the Lok Sabha that it does not have any record on the number of civilian deaths in the border areas due to cross-border firing by Pakistan in the last three years as it is a ‘state subject’.

Media reports, many citing official data, have noted there were several civilian deaths, especially during India’s three-day military confrontation with Pakistan from May 7 to May 10, during Operation Sindoor last year.

In a written reply to a question by Shiv Sena-Uddhav Babasaheb Thackeray MP Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth said, “As per inputs shared by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), since ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State Subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, specific data on casualty reported are maintained by the respective State / Union Territory.”

The Wire has reported that while cities were issued alerts by the military, conducted blackouts, and prepared for contingencies, residents of border towns and villages, living within range of Pakistani small arms and artillery fire, were left dangerously exposed, resulting in substantial civilian deaths and property destruction.

During Operation Sindoor, alone, The Wire reported citing the Jammu and Kashmir government on May 8, that at least 16 civilians, including five children, and an army soldier were killed and more than three dozen civilians were wounded in heavy artillery shelling which targeted the main city of Poonch and the villages of Mankote, Dhaki, Sagra, Balnoi, Balakot, Shahpur, Kerni and Malti areas of the border district.

The Union external affairs ministry was quoted on May 9 as saying that 44 people had sustained injuries due to ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Poonch alone during Operation Sindoor.

Meanwhile, in December 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Lok Sabha that 39 persons were killed at India-Pakistan border in the three years before that.

Listing data on battle casualties of Indian Army personnel in border areas, the minister said that there were five soldier deaths in 2025, and none in 2023, 2024 or in 2026 so far. 

He also said in the reply that there are “adequate measures in place for protection of troops from cease fire violations and shelling” and that the troops have been suitably kitted with protective gear to ensure their safety.

“Posts along the Line of Control (LC) are adequately strengthened to withstand enemy fire. Adequate infrastructure exists along the LC to ensure safety of own troops against enemy action,” he further said.

The ministry’s claim comes months after Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, in July, said on the floor of the parliament that “none of our soldiers were harmed” in Operation Sindoor. 

On May 11, 2025, following the military confrontation between India and Pakistan, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, during a press briefing, had stated that five Indian soldiers had lost their lives in Operation Sindoor.

© The Wire