Border regions come back to life as fog of war lifts

New Delhi: After teetering on the edge for nearly a week, border regions in the north experienced a less fraught day, with no shelling, no sightings of drones, and a comparatively lighter yoke of emergency measures.

New Delhi and Islamabad reached an understanding Saturday to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Villagers living close to the Line of Control 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.

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.

In Punjab, markets teemed with people in the border areas on Monday, even though schools in some districts remained shut.

Schools in Ferozepur, Fazilka, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur districts, that lie on the border with Pakistan, remained shut on Monday. In Pathankot and Gurdaspur, colleges and universities also remained closed.

Punjab shares a 553-km frontier with Pakistan.

"India has taught a lesson to Pakistan and it has been successful in sending a strong message to the neighbouring nation. And now Pakistan, which is a rogue nation, will not dare to cast an evil eye on our country," a grocery shop owner in Pathankot said.

Pakistan especially targeted Pathankot with multiple drone attacks, but they were thwarted by the Indian security forces.

In Ferozepur, villagers who had moved to safer places were returning to their villages.

Daler Singh, a native of Jallo Ke village near the border, said that most residents of nearby areas had left hearth and home.

"Now, most of them have returned but they remain cautious. Overall, life is normal and we are going back to our fields," he said.

A Ferozepur native said, "The situation is normal now. We hope the ceasefire holds and peace prevails."

In Rajasthan, a complete blackout was observed in the border districts Sunday night.

There were reports that some red lights, suspected to be of drones, were spotted in the sky in Barmer.

The district administration sent out an alert on X, "Incoming drone activity spotted. Please stay inside your houses and observe blackout: DM Barmer."

It, however, said no drone was shot down.

By Monday morning, an apparent sense of normalcy became palpable in the border districts with people gathering at tea stalls and shops and bantering.

Jalam Singh, a Jaisalmer local, said, "Things appear to be back to normal now. Last night was peaceful."

Jammu and Kashmir, the worst hit border, was peaceful last night with no hostilities between the Indian and Pakistani militaries.

"The night remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the International border," the Indian Army said in a brief statement Monday morning.

"No incidents have been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days," it said.