EPAMohammed Waheed was quick asleep at his house in Pakistan-administered Kashmir within the early hours of Wednesday morning when an enormous blast shook his house.
“Earlier than we may even course of what was taking place, extra missiles struck, inflicting widespread panic and chaos,” he instructed the BBC, including that he had jumped off the bed and run outdoors alongside along with his household and neighbours.
“Youngsters have been crying, ladies have been operating 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 have been hit by Indian missile strikes on Wednesday.
The Indian navy 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 have been killed and 35 others injured on account of the strikes this morning, in line 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, instructed 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 holding 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 have 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 useless,” 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.
“Individuals could not sleep the complete evening. Individuals 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‘Petrified of what would possibly 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 faculty 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 petrified of what could come subsequent.
“We’re terrified, and we do not know what to do,” says Mr Waheed. “Persons are fleeing their properties and the sense of uncertainty is overwhelming.””
His fellow Muzaffarabad resident Shahnawaz echoes this, saying he and his household have been now “desperately looking for protected areas”.
“We have been anticipating one thing would occur, and now we’re gripped with concern of additional escalations.”
Delhi emphasised its actions on Wednesday have 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 have been among the many websites hit.
Mr Waheed instructed 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 avenue mosque the place we prayed 5 instances a day. We by no means noticed any suspicious exercise round it.”
Delhi emphasised its actions on Wednesday focused terrorist infrastructure and mentioned thee have 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 have 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 avenue mosque the place we prayed 5 instances a day. We by no means noticed any suspicious exercise round it.”
