Residents shifted after Pak violates ceasefire in Uri

SRINAGAR : Hundreds of people living in the border areas of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district were shifted to a camp after intermittent firing by Pakistani troops on Thursday night, officials said on Friday.

“Due to firing and shelling from across in border areas of Uri about 500 people migrate to safer areas. DC and SSP on spot looking after the people,” director general of state police SP Vaid said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Officials said a special camp was set up at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Uri, a few kilometres away from the affected villages of Chirunda, Silikote, Mothal Hathlanga, Soura, Balkote, and Tilawari for the displaced residents.

Locals and police officials said though the firing did not resume since Thursday night, people chose to remain in the camp, fearing further attacks.

The residents demanded that the government should ensure an end to the firing or rehabilitate them to safer places where they can live without fear. “We would like the governments of India and Pakistan to put an end to ceasefire violations as it has made our lives difficult. In case shelling and firing on the borders continues, the state government should provide us five marla plots in safer places so that we can live in peace,” Ghulam Mohammad Mir, who is putting up at the makeshift camp, said.

BAT ATTACK REPULSED NEAR LOC IN KUPWARA

The Army has repulsed an attack by the Border Action Team (BAT), a mix of Pakistani regulars and militants, near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Tangdhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said on Friday.

No casualty was reported in the incident that took place on Thursday night, they said.

A BAT team attacked Indian troops near the LoC in the Tangdhar sector, prompting the Army to retaliate.

The exchange of fire continued for nearly an hour and the attack was effectively repulsed, an Army official said.