Tensions escalate along LoC

Srinagar / Baramulla, Apr 29: A fresh wave of anxiety and tension gripped Kashmir on Tuesday amid a marked escalation in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), triggered in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives in the Baisaran meadow of south Kashmirís Anantnag district.

The situation has grown increasingly volatile with continued cross-border firing and visible distress among border residents, particularly in the Uri sector of north Kashmirís Baramulla district.

For the fifth straight day, Pakistan violated the 2021 ceasefire agreement, with fresh instances of unprovoked small-arms fire reported late Monday night.

ìThe firing targeted forward positions in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir and extended to the Akhnoor sector in Jammu,î a Defence spokesman said Tuesday.

ìThe Indian Army responded in a measured and effective manner to the provocation,î the Defence Ministry reiterated.

The Pahalgam killings, widely condemned across the political and public spectrum, have set into motion a series of high-level military and political responses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first remarks following the attack, vowed justice saying, ìThe terrorists, their handlers, and their backers will be relentlessly pursued. Justice will be delivered.î

In the wake of the attack, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a high-stakes 40-minute meeting with PM Modi to review operational preparedness along the LoC.

This meeting was preceded by a detailed briefing from Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on emerging threats and the Armyís readiness to counter them.

Parallelly, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha convened a top-level security review in Srinagar with Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, directing forces to mount a full-scale effort to locate and neutralise the perpetrators behind the Pahalgam attack.

ìWe will not rest until every person involved in this heinous act is neutralised,î LG Sinha reportedly said.

The coordinated security response has also taken a symbolic turn, with the houses of some terrorists demolished during recent operations. Internal anti-terror measures have been significantly intensified, with increased troop mobility and tighter surveillance.

Amid this backdrop, fear runs deep in the border hamlets. In the Uri sector, particularly the village of Churunda, residents are living in a state of deep anxiety as shelling from across the LoC continues. ìThe situation is unpredictable and apprehensive as well. A shell can land here in our residential area at any moment,î said Lal Din, an elderly resident.

The cross-border shelling has disrupted normal life, especially for children and the elderly.

Recalling previous tragedies, residents said Charunda village has seen several casualties in the past, and the memory of those incidents now returns with renewed fear.

ìOur children are scared and deeply troubled,î said locals. ìWe havenít been eating properly for the past two days.î The people living near the LoC are currently living in fear.

ìThere is an apprehension among the residents that the situation can escalate anytime and the border residents will be the first casualty,î they said expressing hope that tensions de-escalate soon.

In response to the deteriorating security situation, frisking operations have been intensified along the Baramulla-Muzaffarabad highway. Checkpoints have been set up at multiple locations where J&K Police, and paramilitary CRPF and BSF personnel are conducting thorough checks.

Passengers are being de-boarded from vehicles for identity verification and security inspection, with both public and private vehicles subject to scrutiny. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday passed a unanimous resolution condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. The legislators across party lines denounced terrorism in all its forms and called for a unified stand against cross-border terrorism and its domestic enablers.