Sat to eat when sirens went off due to Pak shelling: J&K resident
The Uri sector in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district faced intense shelling by Pakistan on Thursday night, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life. According to reports, one woman was killed and several others were injured in the attack. The incident has left the residents of the area shaken, with many recounting their harrowing experiences of the night.
38-year-old Babar, a resident of Uri, shared his terrifying tale of survival with the Indian Express. “We just sat down to eat when the siren rang out,” he said. “We left everything and ran to the neighbours’ bunker.” Babar’s home has been a victim of Pakistan’s shelling twice before. In 1999, his house was destroyed during the Kargil War, and later, in 2005, it was damaged in an earthquake. Given this history, it’s no surprise that Babar and his family were well-prepared for the latest attack.
Babar’s family was in the midst of their evening meal when the siren went off. “We were sitting on the floor when suddenly, the siren rang out,” he said. “We knew what it meant. We quickly gathered our belongings and rushed to the neighbours’ bunker.” The bunker, located in a nearby building, provided some sense of safety for the family, but the sounds of shelling and explosions were still terrifying.
The shelling, which began around 8:30 pm, continued for several hours, with shells raining down on the Uri sector. The Pakistani army had been targeting Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC), and the Indian Army responded with equal force. The exchange of fire was intense, with both sides claiming to have inflicted significant damage on each other.
For Babar and his family, the sounds of the shelling were a stark reminder of the dangers of living in a border region. “We’re used to this kind of situation,” he said. “But it’s still terrifying. You never know when the next shell will come.” Despite the trauma of living in a war zone, Babar and his family are determined to carry on with their lives. “We can’t let fear rule us,” he said. “We have to keep going, for our children’s sake.”
The Uri sector has been a hotbed of activity in recent months, with frequent skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops. The latest shelling incident is just the latest in a series of attacks that have left the region on edge. Despite efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, the violence shows no signs of abating.
For residents like Babar, the constant threat of violence is a harsh reality of life in Jammu and Kashmir. “We just want peace,” he said. “We want to live our lives without fear of being killed or injured. But until then, we will continue to face the challenges of living in a war zone.”
The Uri sector is not the only area that has been affected by the recent shelling. Other parts of the Baramulla district, including Tangdhar and Keran, have also been targeted by Pakistani forces. The Indian Army has been responding with equal force, and the situation remains tense.
As the situation continues to unfold, residents like Babar are left to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild their lives. Despite the challenges they face, they remain determined to carry on with their lives, hoping for a day when the violence will cease and they can live in peace.
