Operation Sindoor: Hundreds evacuated from J&K's border areas as Pak's indiscriminate shelling kills 13, injures over 50

The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have ordered evacuations in border areas from Kathua to the Chicken Neck region in the Akhnoor sector.

 

The order comes due to intense artillery shelling by Pakistan in areas close to the Line of Control, which left 13 people dead after India launched air strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. The operation was launched to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists and one local horse ride operator were killed.

 

People living in all villages within a five-kilometre radius of the International Border (IB) have been advised to move to safer locations.

 

Since the wee hours of May 7, 13 people were killed in Pakistan's shelling, including four children and two women; 50 others suffered injuries across the districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu, and Kashmir’s Uri in Baramulla, and Tangdhar in Kupwara.

 

The targeting of border areas marks a serious escalation in shelling and firing after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. After 'Operation Sindoor', Pakistan has been shelling areas close to the Line of Control (LoC) and IB using artillery and mortars. The shelling has destroyed homes, vehicles and also left one soldier dead.

 

In response, local administration quickly deployed emergency teams to evacuate residents to government buildings or to their relatives.

Relief camps have been set up at several places, including at the Government Higher Secondary School in Bishnah and four other sites in the Arnia sector, where around 10,000 people have taken shelter. Similar facilities have been arranged in the Madreen and Hiranagar blocks of Kathua district.

 

In Poonch, one of the worst-hit areas, many families fled on their own during the night as the shelling continued. Casualties have been reported from Mankote village, where resident Mohammad Rafiq described spending a terrifying night under fire before moving his family of six to safety at dawn.

 

Authorities have ensured that all temporary shelters are stocked with food, bedding, and special provisions for women and children.

 

As a safety measure, all schools, colleges, and other educational institutions, both government and private, in the districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch will remain closed on Thursday. This was confirmed by the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

India