In the early hours of Wednesday, chaos erupted in Kashmir when residents were jolted awake by a series of missile strikes launched by the Indian military. Mohammed Waheed, a resident of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, recounted the terrifying experience: "Before we could even process what was happening, more missiles struck, causing widespread panic and chaos," he said, adding that he and his family rushed outside amidst the cries of children and the frantic search for safety. The Indian military reportedly executed these strikes in retaliation to a militant attack that resulted in 26 civilian casualties in Indian-administered Kashmir, a tragic incident attributed to Pakistan-based militant groups, which Pakistan denies endorsing.
Witness accounts reveal the feeling of fear pervading both sides of the Line of Control (LoC). According to Pakistani authorities, the strikes on Wednesday claimed the lives of eight civilians and injured 35 others. Concurrently, India's reports indicate that at least seven lives were lost due to retaliatory shelling from Pakistan.
Among the slain was Ruby Kaur from India's Poonch district, who tragically died while preparing tea for her husband when a mortar shell struck nearby. Her uncle shared heart-wrenching details of the situation, expressing the absence of community bunkers forcing residents to seek refuge in their homes. "We have never seen such heavy shelling before," he lamented.
Further south, Muhammad Younis Shah from Pakistan-administered Kashmir detailed how missiles obliterated an educational complex, exacerbating the distress of residents already on edge. Local feelings of uncertainty were palpable, with terrified families evacuating their homes in search of safety, grappling with an overwhelming sense of dread about what might come next.
Delhi claimed its military actions were "focused, measured and non-escalatory"; nonetheless, those in the targeted areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir expressed bewilderment at the destruction of civilian sites, including mosques and residential buildings. Residents like Waheed expressed shock that a local mosque, frequented by worshippers, was among the structures hit, where many suffered injuries. "It’s hard to comprehend," he remarked, emphasizing the complexities of the current crisis they face.
