(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Jammu- Even as guns have fallen silent along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border in Jammu, fear continues to loom over civilian life. Unexploded mortar shells fired by Pakistani forces during the recent hostilities remain embedded in farmlands and homes, turning villages into ticking time bombs.
Despite the May 10 ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan, many locals describe the border belt as a“death trap,” haunted by remnants of war.
Balvinder Singh, 62, returned to his home in the Pargwal sector on May 14. He narrowly escaped death.
“Two shells exploded in our compound, damaging our house. Three more landed on our farmland,” Singh said.“We told our family to stay away from the fields until the Army arrived. We were terrified.”
Army engineers later defused the unexploded shells, bringing temporary relief to his family.“Fear is writ large on the faces of people living in these border hamlets,” he added.
Scenes across affected areas tell stories of devastation - rooftops torn apart, homes shattered, windowpanes pierced by shrapnel, and cattle carcasses lying in blood. The acrid smell of gunpowder still hangs in the air.
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In a village near the International Border, Sardar Gurmeet Singh's family was forced to stay away from their home after a live mortar shell sank into their compound.“It took four days for the army's bomb squad to remove it. Only then could we return,” he said.
Over the last five days, Army engineers have launched an extensive clearance operation, defusing more than 80 unexploded shells across Jammu's border districts - including 6 in Pargwal, 19 in Rajouri, 42 in Poonch, and 12 along the IB.
“These shells, mostly 120 mm mortars, have a range of 15 to 30 km and pose a serious threat to both civilians and military assets,” an Army officer said.“Most were fired by Pakistan during the recent escalation.”
That escalation began on May 7, when the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor , striking nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, most of them tourists.
Pakistan responded with shelling from May 7 to 10, targeting civilian areas across Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch. In those four days, 27 civilians were killed and over 70 injured.
Farid Din Gujjar, a local farmer, said his paddy fields in a border village were heavily shelled.
“Crater after crater - that's what's left of our farmland. We can't resume work until the area is cleared. It's a death trap,” he said.
The Army, in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police, has issued repeated warnings asking residents not to touch any suspicious object. High-risk zones have been evacuated.
In one major operation, 42 unexploded shells were safely destroyed in Poonch's Jhullas, Salotri, Dharati and Salani villages.“All safety protocols were followed,” an Army spokesperson said, adding the effort reflects the forces'“continued commitment to protect civilians and restore normalcy.”
Poonch district saw the highest number of casualties during the shelling spree. Officials confirmed that along with mortars, Pakistan also used drones and missiles to strike civilian targets.
As cleanup operations continue, residents are slowly returning to their homes. But fear remains. The uncertainty of another round of shelling lingers - and with it, the trauma of a war that's paused but far from forgotten.
Army Destroys 42 Unexploded Shells In Poonch
Security forces on Sunday destroyed 42 unexploded shells in different forward villages near the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir in a major operation to clear civilian areas following a military confrontation between India and Pakistan, officials said.
Indian Army, in close coordination with local police authorities, successfully conducted a controlled operation for the safe destruction of 42 unexploded ordnances in the border areas of Jhullas, Salotri, Dharati and Salani, a defence spokesperson said.
He said these shells, remnants of recent cross-border shelling, posed a serious threat to the lives and safety of local residents.
The operation was carried out with utmost precision, adhering to all standard safety protocols to prevent any risk to civilian life or property, the spokesperson said.
He said the bomb disposal teams from the Indian Army, in coordination with police, ensured the complete neutralisation of all explosive remnants.
This proactive effort reflects the organisation's continued commitment to safeguarding civilian populations in conflict-affected zones and restoring a sense of normalcy in vulnerable border communities, he said.
On May 7, India destroyed nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under its Operation Sindoor.
Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.
The two sides reached an understanding on cessation of hostilities on May 10 after four days of confrontations. (inputs from PTI)
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