Daily blackouts & panic in J&K's Poonch city. ‘You never know when a shell will drop'
Poonch city remains caught in the crossfire between the Indian and Pakistani armies. Nearly 80 percent of the population has already moved. Shutters remain down, and properties lie damaged. Relentless shelling has taken 15 lives, including an Army personnel.
The residents, caught off guard, started closing their shops and rushing towards their homes. 'They have started early today. I came here to take my bike, my hard-earned bike. I do not want the shelling to damage it,' said Mohammad Shafqat, who rushed home on his prized bike.
Poonch: The fourth consecutive day of a blackout in Poonch city in Jammu province started with a siren, and then there was complete darkness. A pin-drop silence pervaded the city and its hills until a loud thud pierced the air. Then, the heavy shelling and artillery exchange began, earlier than expected, around 7 pm.
The shelling has been targeting the civilian infrastructure of Poonch city. 'This is the first time Pakistan has attacked Poonch city. Earlier, there would be attacks, but only at the border. Civilians in the city did not have to worry much,' said Abrar while closing his shop.
Two days ago, heavy shelling damaged a Gurdwara in Poonch. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Friday mentioned the Gurdwara twice in his briefing and also informed about the killing of Sikh civilians. Of the 15 people killed, there are Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus.
The blackout over the past four days has disrupted life in Poonch. Shops are shutting earlier, people are scrambling for safe corners, and children are not attending school.
According to local police, around 80 percent of residents have left Poonch city to seek refuge with relatives in different districts of Jammu province.
'The situation is quite precarious here. On a personal level, we are asking people to seek refuge with their relatives or friends,' said a J&K police officer, requesting anonymity.
Speaking on how the India-Pakistan tensions have deeply affected life in Poonch, the officer said, 'You never know when a shell will drop, when someone will fire a missile. With the sirens, we are only alerting people. It would be better to save your life and temporarily shift somewhere else.'
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: Blackout in Bhuj, DM issues public notice for blanket ban on firecrackers
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Vijayawada marks Bakrid with prayers, festive spirit
1 2 Vijayawada: The city witnessed vibrant celebrations on the occasion of Eid-Al-Adha, also known as Bakrid, as thousands of Muslims gathered at major Eidgahs to offer prayers and participate in rituals with devotion and joy. Large congregations were seen at key prayer locations including the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium, Gymkhana Grounds, and Eidgahs in the old city. At the IGMC Stadium and Yanamalakuduru Eidgah alone, over 3,000 worshippers offered Namaz-e-Eid, marking the spirit of sacrifice and unity. Imams led the special prayers and delivered sermons explaining the significance of Eid-Al-Adha. "Bakrid is a festival that reminds us of the spirit of sacrifice and submission to the will of Allah. One must be willing to let go of worldly attachments and walk the spiritual path," they said. Special duas (prayers) were offered for peace, prosperity, and the well-being of the people of Andhra Pradesh and the nation. After prayers, Muslims embraced each other, exchanged greetings of "Eid Mubarak," and proceeded to perform the ritual of animal sacrifice, a key tradition of the festival. Families sacrificed goats and sheep as a symbol of devotion, sharing the meat with relatives, friends, and the poor. Voluntary organizations also stepped in to support underprivileged worshippers by distributing essentials such as rice, dal, and ghee after the prayers. Chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, his deputy Pawan Kalyan, HRD minister Nara Lokesh and opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy extended their heartfelt Bakrid greetings to the Muslim community, wishing for harmony and inclusive progress. The city police made elaborate security arrangements, particularly in the old city and One Town areas, ensuring peaceful and smooth celebrations by deploying additional forces.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"Visit very good, Germany condemned terrorism": Ravi Shankar Prasad
Berlin [Germany], June 7 (ANI): BJP MP and all-party delegation leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday described the visit to Germany to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism highly successful, noting that Germany has condemned terrorism as well as expressed solidarity with India. Following an interaction at a community event in Berlin, Prasad highlighted the enthusiasm of the Indian diaspora inspired by India's growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and emphasised that the delegation's concerns were heard across six countries, with their mission to expose Pakistan-sponsored terrorism gaining traction. 'There is a lot of enthusiasm among Indians in Berlin. They are very inspired by India's growth story and the action taken by the country against terrorists under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Our visit to Germany has been very good. Germany has also condemned terrorism. We are very satisfied with the visit. We were given a lot of respect in the six countries we visited, and our concerns were heard, and our stance has been made clear,' Prasad added. Former Union Minister and part of Prasad's delegation, MJ Akbar, underscored PM Modi's leadership in the global fight against terrorism, particularly along religious pretexts. He further expressed optimism about the mission's success, suggesting a positive outlook for India-Germany bilateral ties. 'We hope we have played some part in ensuring that the mission that Prime Minister Modi sent us on has been successful. We have conveyed the message that PM Modi will lead the global fight against barbaric terrorism in the name of religion, and that has risen. The reception in Germany has been the most sympathetic. This also speaks well of the future of our bilateral relations,' he added. BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari, who is also part of Prasad's delegation, echoed her sentiment, highlighting the delegation's call for close monitoring of IMF funds availed by Pakistan and emphasising the unified global solidarity with India's position. 'We are very happy because we started with a friendly nation, France, and are ending with a friendly nation, Germany. The diaspora has shown a lot of enthusiasm... When we spoke to the governments of different countries, they showed sympathy towards India and are ready to stand with and support us. We emphasised with them that the IMF, which has been availed by Pakistan, needs to be monitored very closely. All the countries have expressed solidarity with India, and they will stand by us,' she stated. The delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, also includes BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya, Congress MP Amar Singh and Gulam Ali Khatana, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai and former diplomat Pankaj Saran. The delegation arrived in Germany after concluding their visit to Belgium to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
J-K: A month after Operation Sindoor, residents in Samba return to work; situation calm on border
Samba (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 7 (ANI): As a month has gone by since 'Operation Sindoor', residents in Samba expressed faith in the Indian Army and said that the situation was peaceful at present and people have returned to work. A resident in Samba said, 'We are living 2 km away from the border. We have faced severe losses, and parts of drone entered our kitchen. Our windows were shattered. Now there is peace. Earlier, we were extremely frightened. PM Modi has provided a lot of benefits. He has announced the formation of new border battalions for Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, there was continuous shelling. We will be extremely relieved once PM Modi provides us with bunkers.' He further said that they had full confidence in the Indian Army and all the drones were neutralised. 'Now the people have started working in the fields again. There is no fear,' he added. Another resident living 3 km away from the border said that the situation is now very peaceful. 'The Indian Army and BSF had destroyed the drones in the air. Now, development work is in progress. People have started working in fields,' he added. Another resident said that the terrorists' launch pad should also be dismantled in future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Pakistan 'saw its doomsday' on the night of May 6 during Operation Sindoor, a deep strike mission that he said left the Pakistan Army and terrorists stunned. Addressing a public gathering in J-K's Reasi, PM Modi said, 'Remember, exactly one month ago, on the night of May 6, Pakistan saw its doomsday. Now, whenever Pakistan hears the name of Operation Sindoor, it will remember its shameful defeat. The Pakistani Army and terrorists had never thought that India would attack terrorists hundreds of kilometres inside Pakistan in such a way.' He said Operation Sindoor demonstrated the strength of Aatmnirbhar Bharat and praised the armed forces for their trust in 'Make in India.' 'You have seen how Operation Sindoor has shown the power of Aatmnirbhar Bharat. Today, the world is discussing India's defence ecosystem. There is only one reason behind this. Our army's trust in Make in India. Every Indian has to repeat what the army has done,' he said. He also urged the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to actively participate in Mission Manufacturing, announced in this year's Budget. 'I want to ask the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to join this mission. Your ideas and skills will take India's economy and security to new heights,' he said. The Prime Minister also announced financial assistance for families affected by border shelling. He said houses fully damaged by cross-border shelling would receive Rs 2 lakh, while partially damaged houses would be given Rs 1 lakh. 'The suffering of more than 2,000 families affected by shelling is also our own suffering. Now, those houses which have suffered heavy damage will be given Rs 2 lakh, and those partially damaged will receive Rs 1 lakh more,' he said. (ANI)
