As tension mounts along the international border with intermittent heavy shelling between Indian and Pakistani forces, thousands of villagers from the border areas have fled their homes and moved to safe shelters.
The firing resumed again late on Tuesday evening.
“More than 10,000 people have fled their villages since New Year’s Eve when the present round of cross-border shelling began,” a senior official from the Jammu administration told The Hindu .
According to sources, more than 60 villages have been affected by the firing and the government has closed all educational institutions.
“We are leaving behind our homes for the third time in the past four months and my children are shivering in the cold,” said Vipul Kumar, a 43-year-old farmer.
Mr. Kumar said while his cattle was suffering in the village, shells, including several unexploded ones, were landing on his fields every day. According to the administration, 82 mm mortar shells from across the border were hitting villages in Sherpur, Chakra, Lachipur and Londi areas of Hiranagar sector.
“We are scared to go back. How can we go back when there are bombs falling all over? How can we take our children there? But we don’t want to spend a day away from our homes,” said Sunita Devi, a resident of Banyari.
