LoC flare up: state of emergency declared in Uri, civilians being evacuated
Srinagar: As the situation in the border region of Uri turned ‘tense’ amid an heavy shelling on ground zero, the local administration has declared a state of emergency in the area.
“The situation in the region is tense. There is heavy shelling going on,” sub-divisional magistrate Dr Sagar Doifode told ‘Kashmir Vision’ over phone.
Notably, after a brief lull in the area, the armies of India and Pakistan exchanged fresh artillery shelling and firing in Hajipeer and Churanda areas of Uri sector, police said.
According to the police sources, fresh firing and mortar shelling took place around 12:30 pm in Hajipeer Sector forcing the authorities to evacuate the people from the various villages along the LoC.
“Unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Uri sector. Army is retaliating,” the police tweeted later in the day.
Earlier, the Pakistan Army reportedly used public address system on the Line of Control (LoC) asking villagers on the Indian side to evacuate the areas they are living in.
“We have evacuated around 600 people from the areas affected by the cross-border shelling and if there is need to evacuate more people, we will do so,” Dr Sagar said.
He said that all the facilities have been provided in the camps to the people.
“We have provided the people with blankets and 24-hour drinking water and round the clock electricity,” he added.
He said that the administration has kept all the ambulances and other vehicles ready to evacuate the people from the villages.
“We have kept three camps ready in Uri town and have ordered the bigger institutions in the town to be alert. While as the situation does not seem to be going that, however, if the need arises we are ready for it,” Sagar added.
At least 35 families were shifted to safer places after three residential houses were damaged-one completely and two sustained- partial damage in Tilwari frontier village of Uri, sources said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations claimed that a civilian was killed and three others injured when armies of India and Pakistan exchanged fire at a village in Poonch sector.
According to a statement by the ISPR, the civilian was identified as Mohammad Farooq.
KV Correspondent
