Several houses damaged in Uri, Tanghdhar

Srinagar/ Baramulla, May 7: Several houses and vehicles were damaged as Pakistani forces resorted to intense and unprovoked shelling along multiple sectors of the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday night.

The most affected areas include Uri, Tangdhar, Kupwara, and Karnah in north Kashmir.

Officials said that Pakistani forces targeted both Indian military positions and civilian habitations, in what is being described as the most serious escalation since the 2021 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement.

In the Uri sector of the Baramulla district, heavy shelling began shortly after midnight and continued for several hours, damaging multiple residential structures in Nowpora, Kalgae, and Salamabad villages.

Reports said that houses belonging to Talib Hussain and Dr Bashir Ahmad Chakoo were among those destroyed in Salamabad.

The shelling was intense ñ it reminded us of the dark days of the past,î said Muhammad Rafiq, a local from Salamabad.

In the Kupwara district, Tangdhar, Kamalkote, Gingal, Batapora, and Chowkibal came under heavy artillery and mortar fire.

Civilians sought shelter in underground bunkers as shells damaged several homes, some of which caught fire.

In Tangdhar, multiple houses burned down. It's horrific," said Waseem Ahmad from Kandi Tangdhar told Greater Kashmir.

Authorities evacuated dozens of families to safer areas amid continued shelling.

Reports from the Karnah sector also confirmed widespread damage to homes and civilian vehicles, though there were no reports of casualty.

Pakistan once more violates the ceasefire agreement in north Kashmir. In Poonch, the Indian Army is retaliating suitably,î Army officials said here.

The shelling comes just hours after the Indian Army launched precision strikes on nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and PoK.

The retaliatory operation followed the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives - making it the deadliest terror strike in Kashmir in over two decades.

The Ministry of Defence said the Indian strikes targeted terror launch pads and command centres being used to plan cross-border infiltration and attacks.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired an emergency high-level meeting in Srinagar early Wednesday to assess the situation.

I am keeping a close eye on the situation. Instructions have been issued for the evacuation of villagers in vulnerable areas. Arrangements for food, shelter, medical attention, and transportation are underway. The government will ensure security to all citizens,î Sinha said in a post on X.

According to official data, Pakistan has violated the February 2021 ceasefire agreement many times between January and early April 2025, but the current escalation - especially after the Pahalgam attack - marks a clear shift toward coordinated, sustained, and widespread targeting of civilian populations.