People along the Line of Control and International Border in the Jammu region continue to live under the shadow of death, with unexploded mortar shells fired by Pakistani troops still embedded in farmlands and residential areas even though hostilities have stopped for nearly a week. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: / Rediff.com Despite the May 10 understanding between India and Pakistan, locals describe the border areas as a 'death trap'. Sixty-two-year-old Balvinder Singh, who returned to his home in Pargwal sector on May 14, recounted a narrow escape. "Two shells exploded in our compound, damaging our house. Three more landed on our farmland. We were terrified and told our family to stay away from the fields until the Army could help," Singh told PTI. Army engineers later came to the village and safely defused the unexploded shells, bringing a temporary sense of relief. "Fear is writ large on the faces of people to these death traps in border hamlets", he said. Scenes of destruction are evident rooftops torn apart, broken houses, windows punctured by shrapnel, and carcasses of cattle lying in pools of blood. The acrid smell of gunpowder still lingers in the air. Sardar Gurmeet Singh faced a similar ordeal. His family could not re-enter their home as a live mortar shell had sunk into the compound in a village close to the International Border. "The army's bomb disposal squad removed it after four days, allowing us to finally enter, back home," he said. Indian Army engineers have launched a sweeping clearance operation across border districts, defusing over 80 unexploded shells in the past five days -- including 6 in Pargwal, 19 in Rajouri, 42 in Poonch, and 12 along the IB. "These shells, mostly 120 mm calibre, have a range of 15 to 30 km and pose a serious threat to both civilian and military targets," an Army officer said. "Many of them were fired by Pakistan during recent hostilities." On May 7, the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor, conducting precision strikes on nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. The subsequent retaliation by Pakistan pushed the region to the brink of war. From 7 to 10 of May, 27 civilians were killed and over 70 injured in Pakistani shelling in the Jammu region. Farid Din Gujjar, a resident near the border, expressed fear about returning to his fields. "Several shells created deep craters in our paddy land. We cannot resume work until all unexploded ordnance is cleared. It's a death trap," he said. Army units, in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police, have evacuated high-risk zones and issued stern warnings to residents not to touch any suspicious objects or unexploded shells. In one major operation, 42 live shells were safely destroyed in the Poonch villages of Jhullas, Salotri, Dharati and Salani. "All safety protocols were followed. The shells posed a serious danger to local lives," an Army spokesperson said, calling the effort a 'continued commitment to protect civilians and restore normalcy'. Poonch saw the vast majority of deaths due to shelling. Security officials said that Pakistan used a mix of mortar shells, armed drones, and missiles during the shelling spree, specifically targeting civilian habitations and border towns in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch. As clearance operations continue, the border residents are slowly returning to their homes, but with caution, fear, and lingering uncertainty about shelling that may yet happen in the future.
The reopening brought a sense of relief to students, teachers, and parents across the region.
The official said the firing and mortar shelling from the Pakistani side started around 1 am and continued for over four-and-a-half hours.
During the meeting, the prime minister is understood to have taken stock of the situation along the Line of Control and International Border.
'We have highlighted our concerns at unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan forces, including in support of cross border terrorist infiltration, and targeting of Indian civilians and border posts by them'
With infiltration showing upward curve, the Jammu and Kashmir police has identified 21 major infiltration routes of militants along Indo-Pak border in the state. "We have surveyed and identified 21 major infiltration routes along Indo-Pak border...This will help security agencies to pin down infiltrating militants...," a senior police officer told PTI.
Maintaining that there have been 'grave provocations from Pakistan', India has said there meaningful dialogue could be held with the neighbouring nation only if it fulfils its commitment, in letter and spirit, not to allow its territory to be used in any manner for terrorist activities against it.It also maintained that there were 'continuing concerns' on cross-border infiltration and ceasefire violations by Pakistan across the Line of Control and International Border.
Anti-India terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan is intact and currently 42 terror camps, including new ones in Pak-occupied Kashmir, are being run, Army Chief General V K Singh said. Now even women are being trained to wage Pakistan's proxy war against India, he told PTI in an interview.
Cross-border infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir is on the rise with terrorists making 433 such attempts this year, nearly 90 more than last year.
The special hotline contact was initiated by the Pakistani DGMO.
After India carried out a daring surgical strike and took out terrorists in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Uri attack in which 19 soldiers were killed, Border Security Force and army personnel are on full alert all along the 198-kilometre long international border and 744-km long Line of Control, to thwart any 'mischief' by Islamabad.
Troops along the LoC and International Border have been placed on high alert following the raids, a senior defence official said.
Pakistani troops violated the bilateral ceasefire on the Line of Control in the Poonch district of Jammu region on Saturday night.
Braving Pakistani shelling and firing, 245 kms of LoC and IB have been fenced so far. The work has claimed the lives of 29 jawans and injured 47.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that the tension at the Line of Control and International Border across the state directly impacts the tranquillity and development process.
India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan deputy high commissioner in New Delhi and conveyed its "grave concern" as well as strong protest at the recent escalation in incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan on border which have resulted in several fatalities on Indian side.
The Jammu and Kashmir government said it has forwarded a proposal for construction of community bunkers along the Line of Control and International Border to the home ministry for consideration.
Terming as "deliberate" the repeated ceasefire violations on the Line of Control and International Border, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has said Pakistan and "powers within" it clearly do not want ties with India to be normal.
Pakistan violated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir 19 times since the new government took over and the Indian side retaliated appropriately in each case, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
'We are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea'
In the wilderness for a long time, former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has made an anti-India rant by saying Pakistan needs to 'incite' those 'fighting' in Kashmir.
Amid continuing ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army, top military officials of India and Pakistan on Tuesday discussed over the hotline the situation along the Line of Control and International Border.
In the second instance of ceasefire violation within 24 hours, Pakistani troops resorted to small arms firing on a Border Out Post
The home ministry has directed the Border Security Force to intensify vigil along the International Border in the wake of repeated attempts by terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the government rejected the army's demand to implement the scheme with retrospective effect from June last year, when the Doklam face-off between Indian and Chinese armies had begun, official sources said.
Amid escalation of cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir, top military officials of India and Pakistan on Tuesday discussed the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and International Border but failed to address the issue.
Militant outfits based in Pakistan want to disrupt the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls by "desperately" trying to push their cadre into the Indian side to carry out terror activities, an army official has said.
Both factions of Hurriyat Conference on Tuesday attacked Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in unison over his statement asking to explore "other options" if Pakistan continues with ceasefire volition, saying his talk of "bullet for bullet" shows lack of understanding of the consequences.
A large population was forced out of their homes due to heavy shelling and firing.
After receiving the United States backing on the issue of terrorism emanating from Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet Nawaz Sharif in New York on Sunday when he is likely to ask him to rein in terror elements operating from their soil and unleashing violence in India.
After days of speculation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh confirmed he would meet his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York, when he is expected to convey concerns over "barbaric" incidents on the LoC and continued terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told his military commanders that he saw a "rare" possibility of a full scale war but asked them to be ready for "invisible" enemy and challenges which will be "less predictable" in a changing world.
Border Security Force on Monday said repeated ceasefire violations across the border in Jammu and Kashmir are being done at the behest of Pakistan to facilitate infiltration of "undesirable" elements into Indian territory.
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