Sajid Raina
Srinagar, May 1: Fear and uncertainty loom over border villages in Jammu and Kashmir as the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked shelling on the seventh consecutive night, targeting forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC). The Indian Army swiftly responded to the shelling.
“During the night of 30 April-01 May 2025, Pakistan Army posts initiated unprovoked small-arms fire across the Line of Control opposite Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir,” the Indian Army said in a statement, adding that these were responded proportionately by the Indian Army.
The Pakistan Army has carried out 17 ceasefire violations over the past week, including in the Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor sectors.
“On the seventh consecutive day, the shelling along the LoC continues, heightening fear among the locals,” said Mohammad Suleiman, a resident of Rajouri. “After years of peace, we’re now seeking shelter in underground bunkers, fearing we might be caught in the crossfire again.”
Kashim Khan, a farmer from Poonch said the ceasefire had given their children hope for a better future. Now, with the shelling restarting, we’re worried their education will be disrupted, and we may be forced to flee again, he said.
Mushtaq Ahmad from Karnah said, “After four years of peace, the renewed tension over cross-border firing has left us in constant fear. Our lives are uncertain once again. We pray the ceasefire holds. It has brought stability, improved infrastructure, and boosted border tourism. We don’t want to go back to the instability of the past.”
Shahbaz Ahmad, a resident of Karnah said, “It was the peak tourism season for Gurez and other border areas, but due to the recent tensions, no one is visiting now. Last year, these areas were bustling with tourists, but today they wear a deserted look.”
Muzaffar Ahmad, another Karnah resident, said, “We pray for peace along the LoC because war is not an option. The development we’ve seen in border areas over the past few years came only after the ceasefire between the two nations.”
Bordering belt residents pleaded for urgent safety measures and the restoration of calm, saying they have been living under the shadow of escalating violence since the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
The residents said they had appealed to the authorities multiple times to build bunkers for their safety, but are still waiting.
A resident added, “Yes, a few community bunkers exist, and are now being cleaned for the safety measures. The situation is tense, but we stand firmly with the Indian Army. We are the last village before the border, and we want to assure the Army that we are always with them, come what may.”
Villagers in Kupwara’s LoC belt say the constant hovering of helicopters, combined with frequent gunfire, has shattered the fragile peace they had come to depend on after the ceasefire understanding. “We hardly sleep at night. The silence is broken by gunshots. We fear for our lives and our homes,” said a Keran resident.
In Uri, residents expressed similar concerns as sporadic cross-border firing intensified. “We live in constant fear. The sound of shells and bullets haunts us. We pray that peace prevails,” said villagers from Churinda, a settlement that has witnessed casualties in past skirmishes. “This is not the first time. Our village has seen blood, injuries, and damage to homes”.
Meanwhile, an official said that security forces have intensified vigilance along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K to prevent cross-border infiltration and the shelling.
“Patrols by the Army and Border Security Force (BSF) have been increased in border districts like Poonch, Rajouri and north Kashmir. A multi-layered defence system, including advanced surveillance and intelligence gathering, has been deployed to monitor suspicious activities,” he said.
