Fresh shelling in Uri; security reviewed in S Kashmir

Fear gripped the north Kashmir’s border belt of Uri on Saturday afternoon when exchange of artillery shells erupted in Churanda area between the troops of India and Pakistan guarding the Line of Control (LoC). The ceasefire violations and cross-border shelling erupted in the area earlier this week triggering limited migration in several villages.

The border areas in Jammu province have been under tremendous stress since past two months and the exchange of shelling has resulted to loss of lives and property on both sides. The shelling occurrences in north Kashmir have further deteriorated the situation, sources said.

A defence spokesman in Srinagar said that firing and mortar shelling started in the afternoon in Hajipeer sector. There were no reports of any casualties. He said the shelling was effectively retaliated.

Earlier, at least 35 families were shifted to safer places after three residential houses were damaged in Tilwari village. Four families have migrated to safer area from Silikote village fearing more shelling from across the border. The shelling was also reported from Tangdhar area of Kupwara district whjere Pakistani artillery targeted two villages. There was no damage to property or life in the shelling. The authorities have said that the local administration was looking after the border areas and facilitating the migration of affected people to safer places.

Independent legislator Sheikh Rasheed, however, refuted the official claims saying the “Government miserably failed to protect the rights of inhabitants of Selikote, Hatlanga, Charunda, Tilawari and Balkote, whose lives are always under constant threat”. He asked the Government to provide residential plots to each of the families instead of constructing bunkers for them which may serve no purpose amid continuous escalation at the borders.

In another development, the entire security brass in Kashmir led by Commander of Srinagar based XV Corps Lt Gen AK Bhatt reviewed the security situation in south Kashmir at counterinsurgency division Victor Force’s headquarters at Awantipora. GOC Victor Force, Inspector general of Police (Kashmir range), IG CRPF, officers from Intelligence Bureau and Special Bureau and several field officers from police,Army and paramilitaries attended the meeting.