Residents of border villages in Rajouri have started returning to their homes on Thursday morning after a night of fear and destruction caused by heavy shelling from Pakistan.

The attack followed India’s Operation Sindoor, a targeted military operation that destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In response, the Pakistan Army launched intense artillery fire along the Line of Control (LoC), forcing villagers to evacuate overnight.

Locals shared their experiences of the panic and damage. “We ran during the night after two shells hit my house,” said Sailesh Kumar, a resident. “The entire village was empty, and many took their livestock with them.”

Another villager, Neeraj Sharma, added, “The shelling was very intense. We stayed with relatives and are only now coming back.” Shamlal, who also returned Thursday morning, reported, “Many houses were damaged, but the firing has reduced since last night.”

According to defence sources, the shelling has so far killed 15 civilians and injured 43 others in areas including Poonch and Tangdhar. Residential homes, infrastructure, window panes, and walls were damaged by the shelling.

The Indian Army has responded with proportional force, monitoring the situation closely and returning fire during the ceasefire violations across LoC sectors in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor.

Operation Sindoor was carried out to avenge the victims of the Pahalgam attack and to neutralize top leaders and camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that were planning attacks against India.

The situation remains tense, with increased security along the LoC and villagers hoping for peace and safety in the coming days.