J&K: Massive exercise underway to clear border villages of unexploded shells

Rajouri/Jammu: The bomb disposal squads of Army and police are undertaking a major exercise in Jammu and Kashmir's border villages to defuse the unexploded artillery and mortar shells fired by Pakistan.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo said they are monitoring the situation and will facilitate the return of the displaced border residents after getting clearance from the security agencies and will also ensure early compensation to those whose houses were damaged in the indiscriminate shelling on civilian areas.

The officials said dozens of unexploded explosives were destroyed by the experts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts and along the International Border in Jammu and Samba which witnessed intense cross-border shelling and drone attacks from May 7 to May 10.

The intensity in the shelling from Pakistan intensified on May 7 after the India armed forces carried out missile strikes at nine terror targets across the border under Operation Sindoor in retaliation to Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that had left 26 persons, mostly tourists, dead.

The ceasefire violations from Pakistan had started from north Kashmir immediately after the Pahalgam terror attack and extended to the areas along the LoC and IB in Jammu division, prompting effective retaliation by Indian troops before the deadly four-day-long clashes.

As many as 28 persons were killed and over 50 others injured in the cross-border shelling which also forced over 2 lakh border residents to move out and take refuge at safer places. A good number of them have already returned to their villages over the past three days.

However, many more are still waiting at relief camps set up by the government for the green signal from the authorities.

The Chief Secretary visited shelling-hit areas to assess the situation besides inquiring about the health of the victims undergoing treatment at Government Medical College hospital, Rajouri.

“I am here to assess the ground situation after Pakistan indiscriminately targeted civilian areas. Three persons, including a senior government officer, were killed in Rajouri, dozens of houses were damaged and livestock perished,” Dulloo told reporters after visiting the hospital.

He said the government wants to rehabilitate the displaced people as soon as possible and also ensure that they are adequately compensated to rebuild their homes.

“We express sympathies with the families who lost their members and also assure that the injured will be provided best healthcare for their complete recovery,” the chief secretary said.

He said the displaced people will be taken back to their villages after getting a green signal from army and police authorities that the border areas were cleared of the littered explosives.

On the need to provide underground bunkers to the people in Rajouri town, he said this was for the first time that many towns like Rajouri and Poonch were hit by Pakistani shelling and “we have to think how the people would be safeguarded”.

The officials said the army along with police teams are moving from village to village to track and destroy the live Pakistani shells.

The operation was launched on Monday afternoon and is continuing with experts destroying the unexploded shells in controlled explosions, the officials said.

The police have already issued advisories requesting people not to touch any suspicious object and report it to the nearest police station or security establishment for their own safety.

Many border residents, who have returned to their villages, said they are still spending their nights in underground bunkers fearing Pakistan shelling. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on Saturday afternoon to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.