Woman killed as Pakistan resorts to artillery shelling along LoC
Aquib Ahmad, a resident of Garkote along the LoC, said the shelling was a throwback to the early noughties when cross-LoC firing was a routine until India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire
A 40-year-old woman was killed and five others injured as Pakistani troops resorted to heavy artillery shelling in Gulmarg, Uri, Nowgam, and Kupwara, Rajouri and Poonch along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and drone and missile attacks on Jammu, Udhampur, Samba, Akhnoor, RS Pura until early Friday. The Indian armed forces effectively foiled the attacks, said officials.
The fresh attacks came even as India on Thursday night repelled multiple strikes across the western border. A blackout was clamped across a swathe of the border overnight as Pakistan stepped up hostilities despite India’s warning against any escalation.
In J&K, Uri was the worst-hit. One Nargis Begum was killed in the shelling there. “Some injured were shifted to the [Government Medical College] hospital in [Baramulla, about 50 km from Uri]. They are stable,” said a doctor at the hospital.
The explosions in Uri could be heard as far as Baramulla. Residents said they stayed up all night due to heavy shelling that damaged dozens of structures. The shelling along the LoC began after the explosions in Jammu. The Indian Army retaliated with artillery in Uri’s Mohura, Razarwani, and Chowkibal.
“The shelling and heavy blasts continued throughout the night. We could hear big blasts until morning, and everyone is in panic,” said Ayaz Ahmad, a Mohura resident.
In Kashmir, officials said the heavy shelling also took place in Gulmarg, Nowgam, and Tanghdar. The shelling forced dozens of families to shift to Baramulla from Uri. The government said it has opened some buildings with all facilities for shelling-affected families. “My cousins left Mohura during [Thursday] night and came to my place amid heavy shelling along the LoC,” said Javeed Ahmad, a Baramulla resident.
Aquib Ahmad, a resident of Uri’s Garkote, said the heavy shelling was a throwback to the early noughties when cross-LoC firing was a routine until India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire, which largely held until the latest escalation in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last month. The attack prompted India to carry out air strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistani Punjab.
Another resident of a LoC village said their area looked like a war zone. “Many families have left the village, and more will leave today [Friday] as the situation is not good.”
Sajjad Shafi, who represents Uri in the J&K assembly, called the situation very disturbing. “There was heavy shelling at many places until early morning. The people are in panic as many shells landed in villages,” he said.
Locals said some shells landed in Uri town, where army installations are also located, even as a blackout was enforced in Srinagar, over 100 km away, in Baramulla, Budgam, and Kupwara. In Kupwara’s Chowkibal and Kralpora, residents said shells landed close to villages, forcing people to leave for safer places.
Drone and missile attacks in the Jammu region continued until 10.30pm on Thursday. A lull followed until around 2.15 am when sirens blared again and a blackout was imposed. Around 4.15am, Pakistan launched drone attacks, targeting the Jammu airport. Air defence system neutralised the attacks, officials said.
Mortars hit some houses in Ajote village in the Jammu region. “Some cattle reportedly perished in Pakistani shelling...there have been no immediate reports of loss of human life,” said an official. Explosions were reported from Akhnoor and Samba. “Indian armed forces destroyed all Pakistani missiles and drones fired on Jammu,” said a defence official.
“Yesterday [Thursday] night, Pakistan made failed attempts to send drones along the LoC and the international border...over 45-50 drones were successfully neutralised during a counter-drone operation in Udhampur, Samba, Jammu, Akhnoor, Nagrota, and Pathankot areas.”
Blasts in Jammu early Friday triggered a blackout between 3:50am and 4:45am. Videos showed flying objects in the skies and blasts as the threats were neutralised. In a post on X, the Jammu deputy commissioner urged residents to stay calm.
The Border Security Force said it foiled a terrorist infiltration bid in Jammu’s Samba district around 11pm on Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether any terrorist was killed. Officials said the situation would become clear after a thorough search in the area in the morning.
J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah left for Jammu from Srinagar to take stock of the situation after Pakistani drone attacks. “Driving to Jammu now to take stock of the situation after last night’s failed Pakistani drone attack directed at Jammu city & other parts of the division,” Abdullah wrote on X. He said the government will review the decision to shut schools on Monday. “The situation at the time will determine if the closure is extended and, if so, for how long.”
The drone and missile strikes on military sites on Thursday came after India thwarted Pakistani attacks on 15 places the night before. It marked the worst face-off between the countries in decades and sparked fears of a full-blown conflict.
Eight Pakistani missiles were intercepted in Jammu’s Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia. India’s S400 air defence system shot down missiles at multiple places along the western border. Military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur, and Jalandhar were attacked with drones and missiles.
The defence ministry said the threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in line with standard operating procedures. No casualties or material losses were reported.
National security adviser Ajit Doval met chief of defence staff Gen Anil Chauhan, and the three defence chiefs on Thursday night and discussed Pakistan’s actions, India’s counterstrikes, and future actions.
Missiles and drones were neutralised in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Gujarat’s Kutch as air raid sirens blared, and blackouts were imposed from Jammu to Jaisalmer and Amritsar (Punjab) to Chandigarh. Authorities announced the closure of schools in the border areas of J&K, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
