Srinagar: A fire damaged one of the oldest mosques in the Kargil area of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a Kashmir Media Service report on Wednesday, the fire damaged one of the oldest mosques in the Ladakh region of the territory, just hours before the start of night prayers of ‘Shab-e-Barat’.

The fire broke out at Balti Bazar mosque in the evening on Sunday and quickly engulfed the entire structure. Fire tenders were promptly dispatched to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control within three hours, preventing damage to nearby structures including an adjoining ‘Imam Barah’ and residential houses, police officials reported.

Police stated that the fire was apparently caused by candles used to illuminate the mosque in preparation for ‘Shab-e-Barat’.