In a heartbreaking development, thirteen innocent civilians lost their lives and 59 others were left wounded in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, following unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC), the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Thursday.
The shelling, which tore through lives and homes, left 44 of the injured from the already distressed region of Poonch. For the families caught in the crossfire, the night of May 7 to 8 was one of fear, chaos, and unbearable loss.
Residents described terrifying scenes as shells rained down on villages during the dead of night. Many families huddled together in makeshift shelters, praying for safety as the roar of gunfire echoed through the valleys. “We couldn’t sleep, we just held our children and prayed. We have nothing left now,” said a local villager whose home was damaged in the shelling.
The Pakistan Army reportedly targeted multiple areas along the LoC, including Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor, using small arms and artillery fire. According to military officials, the Indian Army responded swiftly and proportionately to the aggression.
Tensions have intensified following India’s recent military strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, escalating fears of further violence.
With safety becoming a pressing concern, authorities have shut down all schools and colleges across five border districts in the Jammu region for the second consecutive day.
As the region grapples with grief, destruction, and uncertainty, the human cost of these hostilities is stark. Behind every statistic is a story of a mother, a child, a father—lives cut short or forever changed by the cruelty of conflict.
