Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 12 With the sanitization of the border villages in Uri sector of Baramulla district along the Line of Control (LoC), thousands of residents today returned to their homes with the hope that the ceasefire will hold.
An official said that around 75 percent of the villages have been sanitized and people allowed to return. He said that so far around a dozen exploded shells have been defused in the last two days by the Bomb Disposal Squads. “Some of the unexploded shells are buried deep in the agriculture fields and it is difficult to remove them as of now,” he said.
A public safety advisory issued by Baramulla Police urged residents not to approach or touch any suspicious items resembling shells or devices. The advisory highlights that UXOs are extremely unstable and pose a fatal risk if disturbed. Baramulla Police Emergency Contacts: 9696767768, 9596767717, 01952-234410
Baramulla Police said that 20 UXOs had been found in 17 villages. Seven of these UXOs were safely destroyed in Kamalkote, Madhan, Gowhallan, Salamabad, Bijhama, Gangerhill and Gawalta.
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The official said that specialized Bomb Disposal Squads are actively engaged in neutralizing the remaining threats. “Once the villages are sanitized, the residents are allowed to move. So far around 15,000 people have returned home and more will return soon,” he said.
In Kupwara’s shelling hit villages, however, clearance operations are still underway, and residents have been advised not to return to their homes just yet. The district police and administration have emphasized that the threat from unexploded shells in the region remains high, and it may take a few more days before safety is fully restored.
“People must remain at the Government-designated shelters. We understand their eagerness to return, but their safety is our priority,” Kupwara Police said. They added that multiple teams, including the Army and Bomb Disposal Experts, are working around the clock to sanitize affected areas.
In Garkote village of Haji Pir sector in Uri around a dozen persons from police and security forces including a Bomb Disposal Squad arrived early in the morning to defuse explosives. Residents said that it took them around five hours to sanitize the village.
Former Sarpanch of the village Shabir Ahmad Naik told Excelsior that over 60 artillery shells hit the village in a single night. “It was a nightmare for us. Majority of the people fled but 20 percent stayed back. Now people are returning home,” he added.
Salamabad village in Uri was the worst hit in the Pakistani shelling. The entire population of the village, around 3000 people, fled and now the people are gradually returning after it was sanitized.
Badurdin Naik, who was eager to return home, boarded the bus this afternoon from Baramulla with family and dozens other residents. He and his son were injured in the shelling.
“Houses of my two uncles were completely destroyed and a dozen others were also damaged in the shelling. We fled early in the morning on May 8,” he said.
MLA Uri, Sajjad Shafi, praised the ceasefire and the district administration’s swift response. “Police, along with the Army, have sanitized many villages. Bomb Disposal Squads are working tirelessly. I urge residents to return only after official clearance and to report any live shells immediately,” he said.
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