Displaced residents begin returning to Poonch border village as tensions ease

Displaced border residents on Friday started returning to the last village near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch’s Salotri after a recent understanding between India and Pakistan ended days of heightened tension between the two countries.

The shelling, which affected districts in Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control, resulted in significant damage to homes and infrastructure as well as the loss of civilian lives. The village people thanked the government for the understanding between India and Pakistan.

Amjid Ali, a resident of Salotri village, said, “We live here and we saw something like this happening for the first time. The government had provided everything for our safety, but still, we were scared after witnessing the situation between the two countries. The Indian Army also provided us with all the safety and took care of us. The complete village was left empty after the situation. We are back here in our village as there is peace again.”

Another villager Haji Juniet urged the government to build bunkers. “Around 400 people live here. When the firing started, the people left the village. The administration took care of us, and the SHO heard our problem. Today, we have returned to our village. But there is one problem here that we don’t have bunkers here. Pakistan border is near, but here there are no sufficient bunkers. I request that the government build bunkers here,” he said.

Yesterday, the Army carried out a door-to-door assistance drive in Poonch district, especially in areas near the Line of Control (LoC) that were severely affected by recent Pakistani shelling. As part of the outreach effort, Army jawans distributed essential supplies, including medicines and rations, to civilians impacted by the cross-border hostilities following Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Troops from the Army’s Romeo Force also interacted with locals to understand their needs and provide reassurance during the ongoing security situation.