Residents along LoC worried as cross-border shelling continues

“We have never seen shelling taking place when mountains are covered with snow. It is very difficult for the people to take cover in the bunkers in such harsh weather. Shelling has not stopped here now,” said Mohammed Jaffar, a resident of Tarbal in Gurez in Bandipore district. Jaffar’s village is the last Indian village in the Baktore sector and is now witnessing frequent cross border shelling, which has damaged several residences as well. “It is very difficult even to move towards safer places in winter, because weather conditions are harsh.”

Mukhtar Ahmad, from Tangdhar in Kupwara district told The Indian Express, “The winter months are usually silent. This time it is different. There was shelling on the border two days ago…Indian Army chief in a statement has recently said the situation can escalate anytime, which has scared the locals more here.”

Villagers say many people have decided to migrate to safer places. “Several villagers in the Silokote village (located along the LoC), have migrated to different places, because after every few days, there is shelling. It is more difficult for people to face all this because of the intense cold,” said Farooq Ahmad, a resident of Balkote village in Baramulla district.

Officials in Kupwara also maintain that skirmishes along the LoC are more frequent this year. “Shelling has taken place in the forward(Army) posts recently; but no damage to been reported in the civilian areas. On the posts, skirmishes used to take place earlier, but this time[ in winters], it is little more,” Kupwara Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg told The Indian Express.

A senior defence official in Srinagar told The Indian Express on Sunday, “Earlier as well during the winters, we have seen exchange of fire (between the two Armies). But this time the number of exchanges is little bit more.”