Kashmir breathes easy after week of Indo-Pak hostilities

Jammu & Kashmir border residents start going back to their homes

Srinagar: For the first time in a week, Kashmir awoke to a calm Monday (May 12) morning, with no reports of cross-border firing or shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) or the International Border (IB). There was no blaring of sirens warning of drone or missile threats in Srinagar or other parts of the Union Territory.

The Army also confirmed that there were no serious clashes of any kind between Indian and Pakistani forces overnight — a welcome break from days of intense exchange of fire that had forced hundreds of families to flee their homes in the border belts of Jammu and Kashmir.

“No incidents have been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days,” a defence spokesperson said.

The silence was not limited to the border belts. Residents across the Kashmir Valley — from Srinagar to Baramulla and Pulwama— reported an unusual sense of quiet after a tense week marked by security alerts, loud shelling in the distance, and a heavy presence of troops along vulnerable points.

In Srinagar, life appeared to return to normal, with markets opening early and public transport operating smoothly. The situation was similar in Baramulla and Kupwara towns, where normal activities resumed after days of anxiety.

Meanwhile, the residents of the worst affected frontier villages in Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla and Kupwara districts, where many families had taken shelter in government relief camps at tehsil and district headquarters, are preparing to go back to their homes. These areas had witnessed heavy shelling that damaged homes, schools, and farmland.

Officials said preparations are underway to facilitate the safe return of the displaced families. Sanitisation teams have been deployed to sweep affected villages for unexploded ordnance (UXOs) and other hazards before people are allowed back.

In Baramulla district, police reported the presence of 20 UXOs across 17 villages.

“So far, 7 UXOs (Unexploded Ordnance) in 6 villages — Kamalkote, Madhan, Gowhallan, Salamabad (Bijhama), Gangerhill, and Gawalta — have been safely disposed of,” a police spokesperson said. “Following this, the administration has allowed residents from these villages to return home.”

However, he cautioned that other unexploded shells may still be present and urged villagers to report any suspicious objects to the authorities. “There might still be UXOs in some areas that have not come to the notice of security forces,” the spokesperson added.

While the ceasefire appears to be holding for now, officials and residents alike remain cautiously optimistic.

“We want peace to be permanent, not just a pause,” said Advocate Choudhary Nazir Hussain, sarpanch of Upper Darara village in Poonch. “The government should help rebuild homes and restore infrastructure so people can start over.”