Late Thursday night, rounds of shelling were reportedly heard in Chorwan, the last Indian village along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Gurez sector of North Kashmir. Electricity was cut off, and terrified residents took shelter in underground bunkers as fresh tensions flared between India and Pakistan.
바카라I was on a call with my family around 9 PM when I suddenly heard loud firing. People immediately rushed to the bunkers,바카라 said Zakir Lone, a 25-year-old resident of Chorwan.
According to locals, three community bunkers in Chorwan are currently sheltering around 600 people each; some families have access to private bunkers. Women were seen crying and clutching their children in fear. Many households skipped dinner, being too frightened to cook or eat.
바카라There was chaos. No one knew what was happening. We were scared and confused,바카라 Zakir added.
He managed to briefly calm his family in Bandipora with a video call once the firing paused. 바카라I showed them we were okay. That helped ease their fears,바카라 he said.
In Dawar, the main town in Gurez, residents also reported hearing the shelling and sought safety in bunkers. Nazir Ahmed Khan, National Conference's MLA for Gurez visted the area to inspect the situation and arrangements. He added that the communities have not been affected by shelling yet.
바카라We heard the sound of shelling and ran to safety. Thankfully, there haven바카라t been any more rounds since,바카라 said a Dawar resident.
Considering the escalating tensions along the border, Gurez MLA Nazir Gurezi visited the Bagtore area to assess the situation and express solidarity with affected communities.
The atmosphere remains tense as the fresh rounds of overnight shelling haunt the valley. There is deepening uncertainty in this remote Himalayan region as several rounds of fire were exchanged around 1 AM before the sounds finally stopped.
Residents across several villages in Gurez confirmed that the shelling ceased after 2 a.m.
바카라People stayed in bunkers overnight, frightened, waiting for dawn,바카라 a Dawar resident said. 바카라Some of us managed to sleep. Others couldn바카라t close their eyes.바카라
With daylight breaking, many locals are planning to flee. "I've just locked up my house. I'll leave as soon as I get the chance,"바카라 said Shahid Kaloo, 24, whose family has already relocated to a safer area in Bandipora.
The Gurez sector of the Line of Control is one of the most strategic and sensitive frontiers between India and Pakistan. During the Kargil War and in the years that followed, the region withstood the worst of heavy shelling and frequent ceasefire violations.
(Ishtayaq Rasool is a freelance journalist from the Dard-Shin community in Gurez.)
