With tensions escalating, safety & evacuation plans reviewed in Tangdhar

Srinagar, May 8: Amid a fresh spell of heavy cross-border shelling from Pakistan, authorities in north Kashmir’s frontier Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district have reviewed safety, and evacuation plans to ensure civilian safety.

The shelling, which has intensified over the past fortnight, has left six houses completely destroyed and at least 43 others partially damaged in Batpora and Tribuni villages, according to the district police chief.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, Ghulam Jeelani Wani, told Greater Kashmir that arrangements are being put in place for safety and any possible evacuation of residents from high-risk areas. “People are quite frightened and really angry with unprovoked firing by Pakistan,” he said, after reviewing ground-level preparedness in Tangdhar on Thursday. “We are ready to shift civilians to safer locations if the situation worsens,”

The people, especially those in forward areas close to the Line of Control (LoC), have been spending nights in underground bunkers or seeking temporary shelter in safer areas. “We have been hearing loud explosions every night. The children can’t sleep, and the elders are deeply anxious,” residents said.

SSP Kupwara visited shelling affected village on Thursday and said that residents have been cooperating with police and Army units stationed in these areas. “People are taking precautions and trying to escape shelling during the night. Our priority is to safeguard lives,” he added. Over the past two weeks, border districts such as Uri in Baramulla and Tangdhar in Kupwara have seen a surge in ceasefire violations, in what officials describe as a “deliberate escalation” from across the LoC.  Army has time and again confirmed retaliatory fire was initiated to silence Pakistani guns, but expressed concern over the targeting of civilian areas.

The renewed tensions come amid a backdrop of strained Indo-Pak ties following recent terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead.  While India has maintained that it reserves the right to respond “appropriately,” Pakistan has accused Indian forces of violating the 2021 ceasefire understanding.

Meanwhile, the Kupwara administration has identified several school buildings and community centers that can be used as temporary shelters if mass evacuation becomes necessary. Medical teams and disaster response units have also been alerted.