Pakistan Army resorts to heavy shelling in J&K's Uri and Poonch

India Today

Heavy shelling has been reported in Uri and Poonch as the Pakistan army violates the ceasefire. Civilian settlements in these areas have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Transcript

00:00Okay, let's get you also an update that's coming in from the border of heavy shelling

00:11that's been reported in Uri.

00:13Again, the Pakistan army resorting to violating the ceasefire.

00:16And now news coming in that shelling also being reported in Poonch.

00:21Poonch and Uri have been the worst affected with the ceasefire violations in the last many weeks.

00:28With the Pakistan army since the Pahlkam terror attack targeting civilian settlements,

00:33villages of Poonch and Uri, as a result of which, unfortunately,

00:37we've seen civilian casualty counts going above 15 in just these two villages in Poonch as well as in Uri.

00:44Shelling again kicking off as the sun comes down.

00:48This, unfortunately, has become a habit of the Pakistan army to constantly fire at villages in Poonch and in Uri.

00:57Easy targets for them.

00:59And so what we've also done right now is a precautionary measure looking at how things are escalating.

01:04Most of these civilian settlements, these pockets, have been evacuated right now to ensure that the casualty count doesn't go up.

01:13And the civilians who live in these areas are immediately moved to safer spots.

01:18Kamiljeet Sandhu is joining us with more details on the current situation.

01:22Kamiljeet, already news trickling in of ceasefire violations by the Pakistani army from April 22nd.

01:29We've been constantly reporting on every single night the Pakistani army resorting to this kind of a provocation.

01:36Right now, we understand shelling being reported in Uri as well as in Poonch, Kamiljeet.

01:40Overnight, over a fortnight now, there has been constant RT shelling as well as crossfire arm exchange.

01:54So there is where there is information coming in that in Poonch City itself, there is shelling going on now.

02:02Remember, it's Thursday.

02:03By Friday, we do expect the intensity could be much more.

02:07But very clearly, there seems to be a high alert.

02:09Shops are all shut both in Poonch as well as in Rajori.

02:13A blackout will be happening in short while from now as the sun really sets here.

02:18But clearly, tensions are mounting definitely because situation remains uncertain, unprecedented to a certain extent.

02:26What we've seen in overnight shelling is a more number of people whose houses have been impacted.

02:32There have been some injuries.

02:34But clearly, it's an uncertain life at line of control,

02:37especially when people who are actually facing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir right across.

02:41Now, there are artillery units of Pakistan which are facing the Indian civilians.

02:46And this is where they have been targeting innocent civilians across line of control.

02:50This is obviously a violation of treaty.

02:53But remember, the ceasefire came into effect way back in November 2003.

02:57But meanwhile, as things become turbulent between India and Pakistan and escalating tension,

03:03what we've seen is not just blackouts happening, sirens going off,

03:06but also that there is a ground situation where people have actually left homes to move to safer places.

03:14But not everybody can afford to do that.

03:16A lot of people we spoke to are actually the brave hearts who continue to stay,

03:21several of them utilizing even community bunkers.

03:24But Poonch in specific is very, very close to the line of control.

03:28The town itself is in direct fire.

03:30And that is why we know, as far as the school getting targeted, the Gurdwara, the Gita Mandir,

03:36all that getting targeted and getting a fire from across.

03:39And this is where life becomes really uncertain as far as those residents are concerned.

03:45But definitely, there is the strength of the Indian army.

03:47We know the police has been standing its ground.

03:49The hospitals at this point of time are fully functional.

03:52But clearly, as far as Pakistan's nefarious designs are concerned,

03:56we know there is a constant effort, especially when they fire artly shells on innocent civilians.

04:04All right.

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