Jammu:Hundreds of residents along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) here were evacuated to safer zones on Wednesday as authorities chalked out countermeasures to safeguard civilians from Pakistani shelling.
As many as 12 people, including four children and two women, were killed and over 50 injured when the Pakistan army pounded forward villages in Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region and Baramulla and Kupwara in north Kashmir with artillery and mortar shelling earlier during the day.
The shelling from across the border started shortly after Indian armed forces carried out missile attacks on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the April 22 terror attack in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam that had left 26 civilians, mostly tourists, dead.
“Though there was no cross-border firing in our village, we have been told to shift to ITI College in R S Pura where necessary arrangements have been made by the government for our lodgment in view of the prevailing tense situation,” Liaqat Ali, a resident of Jorian village near the IB, said.
Ali said the village had suffered immensely and had even been burned to the ground in the past by Pakistani shelling.
“We have been told to move out for our safety, and we are following the directions of the government,” he said, adding the village has a population of more than 1,000, mostly earning their livelihood by selling milk and milk products.
He said they are afraid of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan following the recent civilian killings by terrorists in Pahalgam.
The residents of Gagrian and adjoining villages, including Pragwal near the LoC in Akhnoor sector, said they have also been informed by the authorities to shift to safer places.
“We have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our security forces to secure the borders. A policeman came to the village and asked the people to take shelter either in a government accommodation or at a relative’s house for the time being,” Munshi Ram said.
He said the local residents are the eyes and ears of the security agencies but the prevailing war-like situation has caused a major concern for the people living on the borders.
“It is safe to move out for the time being till the situation normalises,” Ram said.
The officials said the district administration has mobilised all its resources to make necessary arrangements for the convenience of people, especially females, so that they do not face any problem at the temporary shelter homes.
However, the situation was altogether different in the affected areas like Poonch where people were seen moving to safer zones on their own.
“We had a sleepless night… I was waiting for the shelling to stop to shift my family of six to a relative’s house,” Mohd Arshid, a resident of the worst-hit Mankote, said.
A woman lost her life, and several others, including her minor daughter, were injured in the heavy shelling in the village early Wednesday.
“There is nothing like peace, but the Pahalgam terror attack left our government and forces with no option but to launch strikes across the border to dismantle terror camps,” Ravinder Singh, a local resident, said.
In Jammu, meanwhile, groups of people took out rallies and chanted slogans in praise of the country and the armed forces for undertaking the precision strikes.
“The Pahalgam terror victims have been given justice today,” Pawan Gupta, a shopkeeper, said, lauding the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He expressed grief over the loss of innocent lives in the Pakistani shelling in Poonch and said the government needed to take necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the border population.
Political leaders, including Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra and former Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina, condemned the Pakistani shelling on the civilian areas.
“Pakistan’s mindlessly targeting civilian areas in Poonch, Mendhar, and Uri sectors is highly condemnable and against International conventions. We earnestly urge the government to ensure secure evacuation and comprehensive rehabilitation for affected families,” Karra said on X.
He urged the party workers to lead frontline efforts in supporting and aiding the affected communities.
Raina also criticised Pakistan for targeting innocent civilians living close to the border and said the BJP-led government at the centre will ensure proper rehabilitation of the people affected by the cross-border shelling.