Uri, Feb 23: Following the escalation of cross border shelling and tension in Uri sector, at least thirty-five families from villages close to the Line of Control have taken shelter in Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Uri town.
Though there has been lull in the firing and shelling since yesterday afternoon, but residents of Silikote, Balkote, Tilawari, Churanda and Batgarh started fleeing their villages early this morning in view of the “ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops” at regular intervals since Monday, the officials said.
They said the fleeing border residents have been put up at makeshift camp established in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Uri town.
“The district administration is registering the migrants and providing basic facilities to them,” the officials said.
The residents demanded that the government should ensure an end to the ceasefire violations or rehabilitate them at safer places where they can live without fear.
“Life here has become a hell; we are fed up with the continuous ceasefire violations by both sides. One never knows what will happen. Since ceasefire agreement of 2003, we had been living a peaceful life but its violation for the past few years has pushed us back to war era,” said Lal Din of Churdanda Uri.
“We want both India and Pakistan to put an end to the ceasefire violations or rehabilitate us at safer places we can live a peaceful life,” he added.
“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 migrant camp, said.
Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr Nasir Ahmed Naqash flanked by SSP Baramulla Mir Imtiyaz Hussain, SDM Uri Dr. D Sagar and SPDO Uri Javid Ahmed also visited the affected families and took stock of essential services and commodities and assured all help and support to them.
Earlier on Monday, the residents of Thajal and Soni had also been moved to safer locations by police in view of the “ceasefire violations by Pakistan”.
India and Pakistani troops traded fire in the Uri sector on Monday and then again on Wednesday and Thursday.
However, the guns along the LoC in the Uri sector have fallen silent since yesterday.
BAT attack repulsed near LoC: Army
Srinagar, Feb 23: The Army on Friday claimed to have repulsed an attack by the Border Action Team (BAT), a mix of Pakistani regulars and militants, near the Line of Control in the Tangdhar sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
No casualty was reported in the incident that took place last night, officials 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.
