Hours before India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, the early morning drone attacks early on Jammu city created an atmosphere of fear, with people silently making their way to safer regions, such as Doda and Himachal.
The Union territory had been in a state of unrest due to Pakistan shelling in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India’s military strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
“We live in Bhatindi area of Jammu city and have come to Patnitop to escape Pakistani attacks. We checked into a hotel and will spend two to three days here, before heading to Bhaderwah, our native place,” said 25-year-old Mohammed Omar Shafi. He is accompanied by nine family members and has a flourishing car accessories business in Bhatindi.
Like Shafi, several other families from the city are heading to Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah. Some families headed to adjoining Himachal as well, such as Kullu, Mandi, Joginder Nagar and Dharamshala.
“We moved to Joginder Nagar on Friday. I have a friend here, who has accommodated us at his home. We will spend four to five days here,” says Rahul Gupta, 37, a resident of RS Pura.
{{/usCountry}}“We moved to Joginder Nagar on Friday. I have a friend here, who has accommodated us at his home. We will spend four to five days here,” says Rahul Gupta, 37, a resident of RS Pura.
{{/usCountry}}Raj Kumar Sharma from Nanak Nagar, 59, has come with his family to Kullu. “My brother-in-law asked us to come over and we thought that it would be a wise move,” said Sharma.
Around 5.30 am on Saturday, a projectile hit a double-storey house in Rehari locality in the old city, triggering panic. “I was cleaning the house when I heard something landing on the roof. Soon, there was smoke all around,” said Radha Kumari. She said splinters hit her husband, who suffered injuries on his arms, legs and stomach.
The tenants in the house had left just a day before because of the tensions, she said.
Her neighbour Balvinder Singh said, “We shifted our neighbour’s family to hospital. A girl was hit in her stomach and another member suffered multiple fractures.”