EPAMohammed Waheed was quick asleep at his dwelling in Pakistan-administered Kashmir within the early hours of Wednesday morning when an enormous blast shook his dwelling.
“Earlier than we may even course of what was occurring, extra missiles struck, inflicting widespread panic and chaos,” he advised the BBC, including that he had jumped off the bed and run outdoors alongside together with his household and neighbours.
“Youngsters had been crying, girls had been working round, looking for security.”
Mr Waheed lives in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir – it’s one among at the least three locations that had been hit by Indian missile strikes on Wednesday.
The Indian army mentioned it carried out the strikes in response to a militant assault in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. It has blamed Pakistan-based militant teams for the assaults, accusing Islamabad of tacitly supporting them – a cost Pakistan has constantly denied.
The BBC spoke to witnesses in each Indian and Pakistan administered Kashmir who described the strikes by India in addition to the aftermath of shelling by Pakistan.
Pakistan mentioned eight civilians had been killed and 35 others injured because of the strikes this morning, in keeping with Islamabad.
India’s military has additionally mentioned that at the least seven civilians have been killed by Pakistani shelling on its facet of the Line of Management (LoC) – the de facto border between each international locations.
‘Killed whereas making tea’
Ruby Kaur, who lived in India’s Poonch district alongside the LoC has been recognized as one of many Indians who has been killed.
Her uncle, Buava Singh, advised the BBC {that a} mortar shell struck close to Ms Kaur’s home round 1:45 am, killing her on the spot and injuring her daughter.
“Her husband was not maintaining effectively. She woke as much as make tea for him when the mortar shell landed near her home,” he mentioned.
He added that the heavy shelling on Wednesday morning was one thing “we now have by no means seen to this point”. Singh says that there have been no group bunkers within the space, which meant residents had been compelled to take shelter of their properties.
“The shrapnel hit her head. She was bleeding closely. We rushed her to a close-by hospital, however she was declared lifeless,” Mr Singh mentioned.
One other resident from Poonch mentioned they heard “loud explosions for hours on Wednesday evening”.
“It was a panicky scenario throughout the town and different areas near the Line of Management (LoC),” Dr Zamrood Mughal mentioned over telephone.
“Folks could not sleep the complete evening. Folks deserted their properties and ran for safer locations. A shell hit the principle city close to the forest workplace and broken the close by construction.”
Reuters‘Afraid of what may come subsequent’
Muhammad Younis Shah in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, described how 4 missiles fired by India landed on an academic advanced within the Nangal Sahadan suburb, destroying a mosque within the course of.
“There’s a faculty and school for kids, a hostel, and a medical advanced right here,” he says. “The primary three missiles got here in succession, whereas the fourth missile got here with an interval of 5 to seven minutes.”
Whereas rescue operations within the are underway, locals say they’re anticipating additional escalation of the violence, and frightened of what could come subsequent.
“We’re terrified, and we do not know what to do,” says Mr Waheed. “Individuals are fleeing their properties and the sense of uncertainty is overwhelming.””
His fellow Muzaffarabad resident Shahnawaz echoes this, saying he and his household had been now “desperately trying to find secure places”.
“We had been anticipating one thing would occur, and now we’re gripped with worry of additional escalations.”
Delhi emphasised its actions on Wednesday had been “targeted, measured and non-escalatory in nature”, however locals within the focused areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir say that their mosques and residential complexes had been among the many websites hit.
Mr Waheed advised the BBC he couldn’t fathom why his native mosque was hit within the strike which he claims injured “dozens of women and men” in his neighbourhood in Muzaffarabad.
“It is exhausting to grasp,” he says. “It was a traditional road mosque the place we prayed 5 occasions a day. We by no means noticed any suspicious exercise round it.”
Delhi emphasised its actions on Wednesday focused terrorist infrastructure and mentioned thee had been chosen “primarily based on credible intelligence inputs”.
However locals within the focused areas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir say that their mosques and residential complexes had been among the many websites hit.
Mr Waheed can’t fathom why his native mosque was hit, which injured “dozens of women and men” in his neighbourhood in Muzaffarabad.
“It is exhausting to grasp,” he says. “It was a traditional road mosque the place we prayed 5 occasions a day. We by no means noticed any suspicious exercise round it.”
