Guns silent, but J&K border villagers still live in fear of unexploded Pakistani mortar shells | India News

NEW DELHI: Along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in the Jammu area, the weapons could have fallen silent for practically per week, but for the villagers dwelling in its shadow, peace stays fragile and fraught with fear. The scorched earth, splintered houses, and unexploded mortar shells function stark reminders that the menace has not handed—solely paused.Despite the ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan on May 10, residents describe their villages not as secure havens, but as “death traps,” affected by remnants of the cross-border hostilities. The Indian Army on Sunday clarified that the understanding between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the 2 nations to stop hostilities has “no expiry date,” dispelling hypothesis that the settlement was set to lapse Sunday night. The two sides had initially agreed on a two-day cessation of hostilities throughout a hotline dialog on May 10, but reaffirmed their dedication to keep up the peace throughout follow-up talks on May 12.

‘Death lure’

The weapons could have fallen silent, but the roses lie recent on the graves of 27 civilians who had been killed in Pakistan’s retaliatory shelling publish Operation Sindoor. Lives misplaced, livelihood gone, houses shattered.“Two shells exploded in our compound, damaging our house. Three more landed on our farmland. We were terrified and told our family to stay away from the fields until the Army could help,” 62-year-old Balvinder Singh, who returned to his house on May 14 instructed PTI.Indian Army engineers have undertaken an in depth clearance drive throughout border districts, efficiently neutralizing greater than 80 unexploded shells over the previous 5 days. The operation coated high-risk areas, together with the defusal of 6 shells in Pargwal, 19 in Rajouri, 42 in Poonch, and 12 alongside the International Border, making certain larger security for civilians returning to conflict-affected zones. “Several shells created deep craters in our paddy land. We cannot resume work until all unexploded ordnance is cleared. It’s a death trap,” mentioned Farid Din Gujjar, a resident close to the border.

‘No one comes’

Once bustling with the vitality of cheering guests and the rhythmic thud of marching boots, Suchetgarh—a quaint border village on the outskirts of Jammu—is now eerily quiet. Popular for its Wagah-Attari-style flag-lowering ceremony by BSF personnel, the village’s transformation right into a tourism hotspot has hit a painful pause following current army hostilities between India and Pakistan.“Now, the carriages stand idle. No one comes to see the zero line anymore. We are praying that tourists start returning so our livelihood can be restored,” Teja Singh, who offers horse carriage rides close to the zero line, instructed PTI.“Earlier, our restaurant used to be packed… Especially on weekends, during the BSF’s beating retreat ceremony, our sales touched Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000. Now, we are hardly earning Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 as people have stopped coming after the Pakistani shelling,” restaurant proprietor Sunil Kumar instructed PTI.A tourism division official mentioned they’re carefully monitoring the state of affairs alongside the borders and stay hopeful that border tourism will see a revival in the approaching weeks. “The situation along the borders has been peaceful over the past week owing to the ceasefire. We are taking necessary steps, including restarting the BSF parade, to attract tourists once there is permanent peace on the borders,” he mentioned.