- Indian villagers from the India-Pakistan border area carry luggage as they leave their border village near Mahawa, about 40 kms from Amritsar on September 29, 2016, after the Punjab state government issued a warning to villagers to evacuate from a 10 km radius from the India-Pakistan border. | AFP
SRINAGAR: Fear has gripped people living on Line of Control in Kashmir the day after India carried out 'surgical strikes' into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday night.
The Indian Army has sounded a 24-hour high alert along the frontiers and asked border residents to stay in underground bunkers.
“The dynamics have changed. The next 24 hours are very critical and very crucial,” a senior Army officer told New Indian Express.
He said Army deployments along all sectors of the LoC in Kashmir have been asked to maintain 24x7 vigil to deal with any exigency. The officer anticipated Pakistani attempts to attack Army posts or civilian areas close to the LoC to avenge the strikes.
“The heightened alert will last for at least 24 hours,” he said.
Sources said the Army has moved heavy equipment including artillery guns towards forward posts.
A resident of Gurez told New Indian Express on the telephone that policemen visited the town market at noon and asked shopkeepers to close the shops. “They asked us to spend the night in underground bunkers,” he said.
People may shift to safer places in case tensions further escalate between India and Pakistan, he said.
The Army officer, however, said no orders have been issued to evacuate the border population. "We will be keeping a close watch on the situation. In case we feel that the civilian population needs to be evacuated, we will facilitate it. But at this point of time, there is no such plan,” he said.
The belt along the LoC in Kashmir remained calm on Thursday except for a brief burst of firing by Pakistani troops in Nowgam sector in the morning.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed grave concern over the escalation of the situation along the LoC.
“The confrontation could lead to a disaster of epic proportions if urgent steps are not taken to bring down the heightened tensions in the region. New Delhi and Islamabad must open channels of communication realizing the dangerous consequences,” she said.
The chief minister said the people of J&K have the greatest stake in peace as they have undergone enormous tragedies.
“We in J&K have suffered immensely because of the violence and know very well its dangers and consequences,” Mehbooba said and called upon the political leadership of India and Pakistan to deescalate the war-like situation in the region.
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