<p>Srinagar: Amid heavy cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan and the most intense military exchanges in recent years, authorities on Thursday launched large-scale evacuation of civilians from border districts in Jammu and Kashmir.</p><p>At least 16 civilians were killed in Jammu’s Poonch district on Wednesday after the Pakistan army retaliated to a series of Indian missile strikes that targeted multiple sites across Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), officials confirmed. The Indian action was in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed.</p>.Punjab: BSF stops retreat ceremony along Pakistan border in view of public safety.<p>The Indian strikes mark the most extensive military action against Pakistani territory since the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.</p><p>As hostilities intensified, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir pressed dozens of buses into service to evacuate residents from forward areas in Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, and Rajouri districts. Civilians were urged to relocate to safer shelters, while power cuts and advisories to turn off lights at night were issued to reduce the risk of detection and casualties from further shelling or airstrikes.</p><p>“We are taking all possible precautions to safeguard civilian lives. People living close to the LoC are being moved to secure locations, and emergency protocols are in place,” a senior administration official said.</p>.'At least 100 terrorists killed, Operation Sindoor still ongoing', announces Modi govt at all-party meet.<p>In a rare wartime measure, the Health Department has begun painting the internationally recognized Red Cross symbol on the rooftops of hospitals and health centers, especially in areas close to the LoC, to shield medical facilities from potential strikes.</p><p>“This is a precautionary measure to ensure that health infrastructure is not targeted during cross-border escalations,” said a health department official.</p><p>The Red Cross emblem, protected under international humanitarian law, signifies neutrality and non-combatant status and is intended to safeguard healthcare services during armed conflicts.</p><p>The sudden and severe escalation has triggered widespread anxiety across the Union Territory (UT), with memories of past wars resurfacing for many. Security agencies are on maximum alert across the UT.</p>
<p>Srinagar: Amid heavy cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan and the most intense military exchanges in recent years, authorities on Thursday launched large-scale evacuation of civilians from border districts in Jammu and Kashmir.</p><p>At least 16 civilians were killed in Jammu’s Poonch district on Wednesday after the Pakistan army retaliated to a series of Indian missile strikes that targeted multiple sites across Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), officials confirmed. The Indian action was in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed.</p>.Punjab: BSF stops retreat ceremony along Pakistan border in view of public safety.<p>The Indian strikes mark the most extensive military action against Pakistani territory since the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.</p><p>As hostilities intensified, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir pressed dozens of buses into service to evacuate residents from forward areas in Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, and Rajouri districts. Civilians were urged to relocate to safer shelters, while power cuts and advisories to turn off lights at night were issued to reduce the risk of detection and casualties from further shelling or airstrikes.</p><p>“We are taking all possible precautions to safeguard civilian lives. People living close to the LoC are being moved to secure locations, and emergency protocols are in place,” a senior administration official said.</p>.'At least 100 terrorists killed, Operation Sindoor still ongoing', announces Modi govt at all-party meet.<p>In a rare wartime measure, the Health Department has begun painting the internationally recognized Red Cross symbol on the rooftops of hospitals and health centers, especially in areas close to the LoC, to shield medical facilities from potential strikes.</p><p>“This is a precautionary measure to ensure that health infrastructure is not targeted during cross-border escalations,” said a health department official.</p><p>The Red Cross emblem, protected under international humanitarian law, signifies neutrality and non-combatant status and is intended to safeguard healthcare services during armed conflicts.</p><p>The sudden and severe escalation has triggered widespread anxiety across the Union Territory (UT), with memories of past wars resurfacing for many. Security agencies are on maximum alert across the UT.</p>