Heavy shelling continues in Uri, locals evacuated

AROUND 500 PEOPLE HAVE MIGRATED TO A MAKESHIFT CAMP ESTABLISHED AT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT

SRINAGAR: Villages located on the zero line in north Kashmir’s Uri experienced heavy shelling on Saturday, officials said, leading more residents to migrate to safer zones and, damaging several houses.

An army spokesperson said, “Unprovoked ceasefire violation is taking place in Uri sector by Pakistan since 11.50 am. Our troops are retaliating.”

Three civilians were wounded on Monday evening after Pakistani forces opened fire across the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri and since then, there has been intermittent firing. There was, however, intense shelling on Thursday night.

On Friday, officials said that owing to the continued firing and shelling on Chirunda, Silikote, Mothal Hathlanga, Soura, Balkote, and Tilawari villages, around 500 people had migrated to a makeshift camp established at a local government school.

On Saturday, the number went up by scores as more people were evacuated by authorities after intense shelling in the villages, especially at Silikote and Tilawari, and at least 25-30 people are said to have been evacuated.

Uri sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Sagar D Doifode said, “The situation became more tense today. The shelling increased and around 7,500 people have been affected by it. We have begun the process of evacuation on a large scale and the village of Silikote has been almost completely evacuated.”

“Three rehabilitation camps have been set up. Around 15 vehicles, including ambulances, have been deployed to facilitate the evacuation,” he said.

He added that a large number of houses have been damaged and according to the latest report he had received, at least six houses had caught fire. Earlier, three - four houses were damaged.

Residents of the villages described how “balls of fire” fell and several houses caught fire. “The only thing that me and my family members have are our clothes. We ran away leaving everything else behind,” a rescued resident of Silikote said.

PAKISTAN ARMY USES LOUDSPEAKERS TO WARN RESIDENTS

Panic gripped residents of border villages in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday when Pakistan army made loudspeaker announcements asking people living near the Line of Control (LoC) to move to safer areas.

The announcements were made by Pakistan army using public address systems when heavy shelling and firing was going on in the Uri sector between Indian and Pakistan soldiers.