‘People are very scared. And frightened. There is apprehension of war.’
‘We are under the shadow of swords from both sides and in the middle, we get crushed.’
As the conflict between India and Pakistan dramatically escalates, villages along the Line of Control fear for their lives.
Villagers show a damage portion in front of a house after shelling by the Pakistani Army in Chhajla Patri village near the Line of Control in the Mankote sector of Poonch on Wednesday. The government has put the border districts on high alert. Villagers along the LoC say they fear the worst as the tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are at a boil. Photograph: PTI Photo
Families move away from Chhajla Patri village after shelling by the Pakistani army near the Line of Control, in the Mankote sector of Poonch. One villager was quoted as telling Al Jazeera, "We had cooked dinner yesterday but did not eat. All of us were anxious. We feared the firing might increase. For us, this is a daily routine, the firing is common. But this time, what if it leads to a war?" Photograph: PTI Photo
Villagers take shelter at a shrine after shelling by the Pakistani Army near the Line of Control at Mendhar. While many villagers opt to leave the area, some say they opt to live on there, but feel homeless in their own homes. The villagers say they have been told by the army to keep their lights off during the nights. Photograph: PTI Photo
A worker walks after painting a Red Cross sign on the rooftop of a hospital in Srinagar. Photograph: Danish Ismail/Reuters
Workers construct a concrete bunker in a residential area near the border with Pakistan in Samba sector near Jammu. Villagers along the LoC say they do not have emergency bunkers for shelter during the firing. Photograph: Mukesh Gupta/Reuters
