Uneasy calm returns to J&K borders after days of fire and fear

Srinagar, May 11: Calm prevailed on Saturday night at the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) after days of intense cross-border hostilities that left at least 25 dead and over 40 injured across Jammu and Kashmir.

The quiet night followed a mutually agreed ceasefire between India and Pakistan, aimed at halting the escalation that had gripped J&K for over a week.

In Jammus Udhampur district, which witnessed sporadic shelling Friday evening, silence fell by late Saturday.

Officials said there were no further ceasefire violations although residents remained wary.

Many voluntarily observed a blackout, keeping their lights off through the night despite no official announcements, reflecting the lingering anxiety from days of hostilities.

Jammu province bore the brunt of the attacks, with six security personnel among the 22 dead.

The violence began after India launched what it described as ìmeasured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsibleî strikes on terrorist infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC) and in Pakistan following a major terror attack in Pahalgam last month that killed 26 civilians.

In Kashmir, border residents who had fled villages along the LoC began returning home Sunday morning.

Localities in Uri (Baramulla), Tangdhar and Naugam (Kupwara), and Gurez (Bandipora) reported no firing incidents since Saturday evening.

We returned to our village last night,î Mushtaq Ahmad of Uriís Garkote village told Greater Kashmir. ìWe had left on Wednesday after heavy shelling. It has been calm since.î

In Gurez, villagers also expressed relief.

ìThere was no fire from either side last night,î locals said. ìPeople heaved a sigh of relief. Many stayed in community bunkers but slept in peace.î

Tangdhar residents echoed similar sentiments, saying it was the first time in five nights that people could sleep in their homes.

While Srinagar city remained distant from the cross-border shelling, it too experienced tension after a series of explosions Saturday evening, hours after the ceasefire announcement.

Authorities had quickly imposed a brief blackout, prompting panic.

However, the situation eased by midnight as streetlights were back on and no further disturbance was reported.

Two persons were killed and 55 injured while nearly 100 structures including homes and government buildings were damaged in Kashmirís border belt during the recent escalation.

Though explosions were heard in parts of J&K last evening, a senior defence official clarified these were controlled detonations of unexploded ordnance conducted by the Indian Army.

ìThere was no fresh shelling. These were precautionary measures,î he said.

As calm gradually returns, security forces across the frontier remain vigilant.

Intelligence agencies have warned of potential provocations, particularly via drone incursions, which have increased in frequency and sophistication.

In the meantime, rehabilitation efforts have begun in affected border areas.

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have dispatched assessment teams to evaluate damage to civilian property.

Relief camps set up during the shelling period are being wound down as displaced residents return to their homes.

While the ceasefire has so far held, residents in the border belt remain cautious, many still keeping emergency bags packed and bunkers ready ñ a stark reminder of how quickly tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours can spiral.