In the aftermath of India’s bold and precise Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), Pakistan has retaliated with intense artillery shelling across multiple civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir — causing death, destruction, and displacement.
From the dead of night on May 6 through May 7, Pakistani forces opened heavy fire across the Line of Control (LoC), specifically targeting the districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Tangdhar, and Baramulla. The shelling, which defence sources describe as “arbitrary and aggressive,” claimed at least 15 civilian lives and left 43 injured. Many homes were reduced to rubble, forcing families to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs.
“In the middle of the night, at around 2:30 am, we heard loud bangs… we had to run. Four houses in our village were burned down,” said Badruddin, a local from Tangdhar who was injured along with his son. Speaking from his hospital bed at the Government Medical College (GMC) Baramulla, he added, “We want peace. There should be peace. There is no place left for us to go.”
Despite the fear and tragedy, many locals are refusing to abandon their land. “We’ve sent the women and children away for safety, but the men are staying. This is our home. We support the Indian Army,” said a resident from Poonch, standing amid the rubble of his neighborhood.
On Wednesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the Indian Armed Forces for their strategic precision in Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. “Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, our armed forces have made the country proud,” Singh said. “The operation was conducted with precision, alertness, and humanitarian sensitivity. Civilian areas were consciously avoided.”
Operation Sindoor marked a significant escalation in India’s counter-terrorism policy, targeting major terror hubs including Jaish-e-Mohammed’s headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke. JeM chief Masood Azhar’s relatives and close aides were reportedly among those killed in the strikes.
