Cross-border shelling sparks fearful memories among frontline villagers

Heavy firing during ceasefire violations from the Pakistani side over the past week has left residents of villages along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu division gripped with fear, haunted by memories of a violent past.

These border communities had witnessed a relatively peaceful period since February 2021, when India and Pakistan agreed to renew the 2003 ceasefire agreement. However, the recent violations—following a terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives—have revived painful recollections of the days when bomb shells and bullets would indiscriminately strike men, women and cattle.

Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Arnia village in Jammu district, said the renewed shelling has brought back traumatic memories of residents fleeing their homes for safety. Arnia has suffered significantly during past ceasefire violations, with casualties and widespread damage to property.

“During a war, at least people are prepared for the possibility of bombings or gunfire. But during ceasefire violations, there is no warning. We never know when or where a mortar shell might land,” Singh said.

Locals living near the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts had felt a sense of relief since the 2021 agreement, as prior violations often disrupted farming and daily life. Amid the current tensions, many villagers have harvested their crops prematurely, fearing escalation.

Residents have also begun cleaning and repairing individual and community bunkers constructed by the government before 2021. These bunkers, once a lifeline during frequent shelling, had largely been abandoned during the period of relative calm.

Satish Kumar, a resident of Akhnoor in Jammu district, said community bunkers had been long forgotten until now. “If shelling resumes, we’ll take cover in these bunkers. We never thought such a situation would return, but Pakistan and its proxies seem determined to sabotage peace,” he said.

In 2017, the Central government had sanctioned the construction of over 14,000 individual and community bunkers across Jammu, Kathua, and Samba districts along the IB, and Poonch and Rajouri districts along the LoC, to protect civilians during cross-border tensions.

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