18-05-2025
No safe zones left as Pakistani shelling reaches Surankote for first time
SURANKOTE: In a sharp escalation after Operation Sindoor on May 7, Pakistani shelling reached Surankote, 40–45 km from the LoC, for the first time, shattering its long-held immunity and leaving no zone untouched in the intensified cross-border assault.
On the night of May 8, a 12-year-old girl Humaira Chouhan and her twin sister Ifzah Chouhan were sleeping in the bedroom of their house in Mandirgali area of Surankote, which had remained peaceful during the past cross border shelling.
The village being about 45 kms from LoC and had not been in the range of Pakistani troops shelling during past incidents of cross-border shelling whether it be 1965 war, 1971 war or the 1998 Kargil war.
Around midnight, multiple explosions rocked Surankote as Pakistani shells rained down, with one landing near the house of sleeping twin sisters. The blast damaged their bedroom, shattering windows and glass panes, and reducing bedding and belongings to debris.
'We recovered Humaira from the debris of the room while her twin sister had gone to the washroom a few moments before the blast took place,' said Humaira's father, Mohammad Liyaqat.
The girl was bleeding as she had suffered multiple splinter injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors treated her.
She sustained splinter injuries in chest, arm, back and other parts of the body.
'Some of the splinters have been removed while others are still in the body and doctors have told me to again visit the hospital after 15 days,' said Humaira.
