The residents say that it’s always Pakistan who targets civilian areas while the Indian Army in retaliation only targets their enemy army's posts.
Pakistan has been continuously targeting civilian areas during the ceasefire violations in the last few days. Mortar shelling and light arms fire resulted in the death of one lady and injured three others at the Batgran village in Uri.
Village Batgran is the last village of the Line of Control (LoC) from the Indian side and remained most hit village in the last few days of shelling by Pakistan. One lady of the same area died and three others got injured. There has been damage to around eight houses as well.
However, people allege that civil administration has not reached out to them. Only the Indian Army has taken the first-hand assessment of the situation and has provided ration and medical help to people of the village.
People of the area are living in fear as Pakistan continuously violates the ceasefire and is targeting civilian areas. The residents say that it’s always Pakistan who targets civilian areas while the Indian Army in retaliation only targets their army posts.
Hafiz Ahmad, a resident who lost his mother in the ceasefire violation, said, “Pakistan keeps violating the ceasefire and targets only civilian areas while our army engagement is only with Pakistan army posts. The ceasefire violation from Pakistan occurs at least twice a week and targets civilian areas. I lost my mother in a recent ceasefire violation by Pakistan, but no one from the civil administration has visited us."
Another resident, Syed Muneer Ahamed, said, “Yesterday, Pakistan violated the ceasefire and targeted civilian areas, in which Akhter Begum, a lady from our village, died. Whenever they fire, they target civilian areas but our army only targets their posts. In turn, when our army destroys their camps, Pakistani forces target civilian areas which are again retaliated from our side."
Pakistan has been violating the ceasefire agreement in the Hajipeer and Kamalkot sectors of Uri from the last week and has not only been targeting the Indian Army posts but also several residential areas, which were hit last week. Pakistan has targeted many villages close to the Line of Control for more than a week. This has generated panic in Chrunda, Batgran, Hathlanga, Mothal, Sahoora, Silikote, Balkote, Nambla, Garkote, and the main town Uri.
People living near LoC are the worst sufferers and they have been losing precious human lives and incurring damage to their property. They demanded bunkers to be constructed in areas near the LoC.
Another resident, Feroz Ahmad, said, “We urge our Lieutenant-Governor and Prime Minister Modi to make arrangements for us because we, who live along the LoC, are poor people and we are facing daily shelling from Pakistan's side. We hope that every family here is given bunkers so that during the shelling, people can save their lives."
In the wake of the cross border shelling, the administration has shifted at least 18 families from the worst-hit areas and has provided them boarding and lodging facilities in the Uri sector till now.
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