Pak shelling: 500 border residents shifted

As the situation on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir is heating up, more than 500 residents of the villages close to the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Baramulla district have been shifted to safer locations by the authorities.

"Due to firing/shelling from across in border areas of Uri about 500 people migrate to safer areas. DC/SSP on spot looking after the people," Director General of Police Shesh Pal Vaid tweeted.

An official of the state government said the worst affected villages along the LoC in Uri are Balkote, Silkote, Tillawari, Thajal, Churanda, Batgra and Hathlanga.

"Adequate arrangements have been made for the safe evacuation of the affected residents," he said and added that it was a preventive measure to ensure that there are no civilian casualties.

These villages are just a kilometre away from the border and can be easy targets of shelling from across the LoC.

Reports from these villages said there was total chaos and confusion as people were rushing towards safer places fearing more shelling by Pakistani troops.

The Pakistani troops have been violating ceasefire in the Uri sector since Monday  and there has been heavy shelling from across the border.

Villagers at the forefront of the Pakistani shelling say they feel they are in a war zone with sounds of mortar bombs and the rattle of automatic weapons booming in the area.

"There is a panic situation in our village as nobody knows what is going to happen. It is very difficult to live here. We just want security," Ishfaq, a resident  of the  area, told  DH over the phone.

Uri was in the news after the September 18, 2016 fidayeen (suicide) attack on an army base that left 19 soldiers dead and triggered the latest tensions between India and Pakistan.