Forced to flee Pakistani shelling, residents of villages close to LoC begin journey home
Residents of villages close to the LoC who were forced to flee due to heavy shelling by the Pakistani military started returning home on Monday.
They started their journey back to their villages after bomb disposal squads cleared the residential areas of any leftover or unexploded shells, officials said.
“We are happy that a ceasefire has been reached between the two countries. We are also hopeful that Pakistan will not resort to such activities again,” said Arshad Ahmad, a resident of the Kamalkote area in Uri.
Some residents praised the Army and other security forces for taking care of them.
“The Indian Army has come out with flying colours. It had to respond and it did that well. They (army personnel) are our heroes, they always help us. Even now, when we are going back to Uri, they checked the place thoroughly (for shells),” said Mehak Khursheed, a resident of Uri near the Line of Control (LoC).
Uri MLA Sajjad Shafi has asked the residents of villages along the frontline to remain vigilant and not touch anything suspicious.
“They should immediately report any suspicious objects to the authorities for proper disposal,” he said.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday asked the residents of border villages not to rush back as residential areas were yet to be sanitised and cleared of any unexplored shells.
More than 1.25 lakh residents of villages close to the LoC in Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara districts were evacuated to safety as their homes were at a very high risk of being targeted in Pakistani shelling.
“Do not return to frontline villages. Lives are at risk as unexplored munitions remain (scattered) after Pakistani shelling,” police said in an advisory on Sunday.
“As many as 41 lives were lost in explosions of leftover shells near the LoC in 2023 alone,” they had said, highlighting the dangers of civilians rushing back to villages.
Poonch district accounted for 18 of the 25 total fatalities since Wednesday. It also recorded injuries to 50 people.
The Pakistani shelling began shortly after India carried out Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to avenge the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. However, hours later, New Delhi accused Islamabad of breaching the agreement.
J & K