Al Jazeera News :
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – Hundreds of residents have fled their homes along the border following an escalation of cross-border attacks between India and Pakistan.
Nasir Ahmad Naqash, deputy commissioner of northern Baramulla district, told Al Jazeera ceasefire violations have intensified in Uri sector first time in 15 years, as the area has been largely peaceful since the 2003 truce signed by the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals.
“More than 1,000 villagers have fled their homes due to the shelling. Many people have been provided shelter in the campus by the government while others have gone to live with their relatives,” Naqash said.
Nazir Ahmad, 40, a resident of Churunda village, 120km from the main city of Srinagar, fled his home on Saturday and is living in a state-run higher secondary school with his family in Uri town.
“On Saturday, we heard the announcement from the other side asking civilians to shift to safer places. It panicked everyone and most of the villagers left their homes. This is for the first time in many years that the shelling has intensified,” he told Al Jazeera. Ghulam Nabi, a resident of Silikot, another affected village in Uri sector, demanded that civilians living in the line of fire be moved to safety. “We appeal government to provide us land in some safer places. We don’t want to live among the shells and bullets that have put our lives in danger,” he said.
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – Hundreds of residents have fled their homes along the border following an escalation of cross-border attacks between India and Pakistan.
Nasir Ahmad Naqash, deputy commissioner of northern Baramulla district, told Al Jazeera ceasefire violations have intensified in Uri sector first time in 15 years, as the area has been largely peaceful since the 2003 truce signed by the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals.
“More than 1,000 villagers have fled their homes due to the shelling. Many people have been provided shelter in the campus by the government while others have gone to live with their relatives,” Naqash said.
Nazir Ahmad, 40, a resident of Churunda village, 120km from the main city of Srinagar, fled his home on Saturday and is living in a state-run higher secondary school with his family in Uri town.
“On Saturday, we heard the announcement from the other side asking civilians to shift to safer places. It panicked everyone and most of the villagers left their homes. This is for the first time in many years that the shelling has intensified,” he told Al Jazeera. Ghulam Nabi, a resident of Silikot, another affected village in Uri sector, demanded that civilians living in the line of fire be moved to safety. “We appeal government to provide us land in some safer places. We don’t want to live among the shells and bullets that have put our lives in danger,” he said.
