Police flag live shells, warn displaced residents against rushing back home

As residents of border villages begin returning following a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, bringing an end to days of intense shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday issued an advisory urging civilians not to go back to frontline areas due to the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Police in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district warned that dangerous munitions remain hidden in villages affected by cross-border shelling. “UXOs can explode when disturbed, even after lying dormant,” the police said.

They added that 41 civilians were injured by leftover shells in Jammu and Kashmir during 2023 alone. Expert teams are currently conducting clearance operations across affected regions. “Evacuees must wait for official clearance before returning,” the advisory stated, adding, “Locals should wait for official confirmation from police before attempting to return to your homes.”

For the first time in several days, no shelling was reported in the border areas of the Valley on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Official sources confirmed no reports of ceasefire violations along the LoC from any sector in north Kashmir. “We are keeping a close watch on the situation,” officials told The Tribune.

Over the past few days, thousands of people had moved to safer areas after Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling along the LoC, damaging property and killing a woman. Over a dozen civilians were also injured in the border shelling.

Now, people have slowly started returning. Imran Ahmad, a resident of Uri, told The Tribune there was no exchange of fire on Saturday night and the situation appeared calm following the ceasefire.

“People have started to return back to Uri villages. There is calm on the borders and people are hoping the ceasefire continues, because shelling has brought destruction during the last few days,” said Ahmad.

However, many residents who fled remain reluctant to return. “They are keeping a close watch to see how things develop in the border villages,” Ahmad said.

A resident of Kupwara said fear still gripped many locals. “After many years, people here have witnessed such a situation. Even after the ceasefire, there is fear on the ground and they don’t know what will happen in the coming days,” he said.

Meanwhile, even as guns fell silent in border areas, fresh tensions erupted across Kashmir on Saturday evening. Explosions and drone sightings triggered panic in several parts of the Valley. Multiple explosions were reported in Srinagar and surrounding areas on Saturday night, following what officials described as “drone activity” detected across the region.

J & K