'Five hours of bombardment by the Pakistanis should not have happened.'
'India should have sent the air force to bomb the Pakistanis where they were raining fire on us.'
Poonch in Jammu has been the worst hit in Pakistani shelling that has been ongoing in recent days.
The Pakistan army retaliated with a fusillade of fire in the wake of Operation Sindoor, causing loss of life and destruction of property.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff spoke to residents of Poonch to find out what is going on.
Dr Shehnaz Ganai, former MLC, Poonch
What happened in Poonch on May 7?
The Pakistanis started shelling Poonch city on Wednesday morning. 11 people died in Poonch and 1 person died in Mendhar area. In total, 12 died in Poonch district.
What was the ages of the victims?
Eight children and two ladies died, 45 people were injured and there was huge damage to property. This was a barbaric act from the Pakistanis.
Have you witnessed this kind of firing before?
They (the Pakistan army) used to do it, but this time their target was Poonch town and the civilian population.
The problem with Poonch is its location. It is only 10 kilometres from the Line of Control. Many people from the border villages have started staying in Poonch town for better healthcare and education. At present, we have 100,000 people living in Poonch.
Was there any retaliation from India's side?
We were careful in targeting terrorist camps rather than targeting Pakistani civilians. But the Pakistanis are only targeting Indian civilians in Poonch.
Most of the injured have thankfully been discharged. Some of them have gone to Jammu.
How is the public reacting after Wednesday's firing?
The people of Poonch are in absolute panic. There is fear in the town. The authorities are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring our safety. People are scared and most of them have left their homes and moved to safer places.
Are there bunkers for public safety?
Poonch is a very old town and we don't have bunkers in the middle of town. But yes, around Poonch you do have bunkers for people's safety.
This shelling from Pakistan happened in broad daylight. Everybody was in a state of shock. Thankfully, phones were working.
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Dr Deshpal Sharma, resident, Poonch
At what time did the Pakistanis start attacking Poonch?
At 6 am on Wednesday, the bombarding started from the Pakistan side. They did not stop the bombardment which continued till 11.30 am.
Bombarding from Pakistan was particularly done in Poonch city. What we feel disappointed is that the retaliation from India's side did not happen. There was no air strike back at Pakistan.
Had that been done, the firing in Poonch could have stopped. A lot of people were martyred in Poonch because of the firing.
Television channels are not highlighting the devastation that occurred in Poonch.
Is this the first time you have seen such firing in Poonch?
Our elders tell us that even in the 1971 War Pakistan did not target Poonch city the way they targeted it this time.
Being a Poonchi (resident of Poonch), I have never seen such firing in my life.
Pakistanis targeted the gurdwara, mosque and Gita Bhawan in Poonch. These three places of worship are located in the midst of Poonch city and were targeted by Pakistani firing.
I cannot express what devastation we have seen in the last 24 hours.
How many people died in the firing?
30 people died in Poonch.
But the media is saying 15 dead...
That is the official figure of 15 plus dead. But actually, across Poonch and Mendhar, some 30 people have died for sure.
Where did the firing have the maximum impact?
They were bombarding Police Lines non-stop.
In Qazi Muda and Sukha Katta where Muslims live in large numbers, the firing was so severe that the people fled their homes.
Have people started leaving Poonch city?
60 percent of the people have vacated Poonch city.
Yesterday (May 7) there was the cremation of Amrit Singhji. He was one of the nicest human beings, unfortunately he died in Pakistani firing. Hardly 100 people attended his funeral. In normal times, thousands would have come for his funeral.
What is the situation in Poonch now?
Right now there is no firing. After 11.30 am on Wednesday there has been silence. But people are living in fear. Schools and colleges have shut down.
What about the bazaars?
They are open here and there, but the market overall is closed. Pakistani shells fell straight into Poonch market. Two people died there instantly. Nobody was there to lift their bodies at that point of time.
Any request to the government?
We are with the government and we will stand by them. But five hours of bombardment by the Pakistanis should not have happened. India should have sent the air force to bomb the Pakistanis where they were raining fire on us.
We are lucky that the Pakistani firing did not target the densely populated area of Poonch or else more than 100 people would have died.
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Kuldeep Singh, resident of Poonch
Where were you when the firing happened?
I was in Poonch city when the firing started. It was non-stop devastation.
What losses did you suffer?
More than losses I witnessed death. 11 people in my locality died in the Pakistani firing. Around 39 are injured. I am 40 years old and I have never seen such firing in my life.
What were you doing when the firing was going on?
We were hiding in our homes. Children were crying in fear. We were just trying to be safe.
What is the situation now?
Right now, nothing is happening, but Poonch city has shut down completely.
What is your plan?
We have no place to go. We will live and die in Poonch.
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