New Delhi: It was 1.30 a.m. in Srinagar when Harver Singh (26) was jolted awake by a deafening thud. The windows were rattling. The skies were rumbling.
A warplane was hovering furiously low over the houses, Harveer recalled. “All of us rushed into one room and huddled together. After about two minutes, it felt like something had fallen. We felt tremors for a few seconds, and the windows started shaking again.”
That’s when Singh checked online and learnt India was carrying out airstrikes on terror assets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) at 1.44 a.m. Wednesday said a total of nine terror sites were struck under Operation Sindoor, but no Pakistani military facilities had been targeted.
“Justice is Served. Jai Hindi,” was the update posted by the Indian Army on ‘X’ midnight.
For the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, the intervening night of 6–7 May was marked by fear, anxiety and sleeplessness. People switched on their television sets and kept checking the Internet to stay updated on the fast moving developments. Social media was flooded with posts from J&K residents describing the sounds of low-flying planes, and a looming sense of uncertainty and dread.
Also Read: Fidayeen factories of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke, Jaish in Bahawalpur targeted in Operation Sindoor
Usual night, until it wasn’t
Another resident from Kashmir’s Pulwama, who didn’t wish to be named, said his entire neighbourhood stayed awake as jets circled overhead.
“I heard a loud bang and something fell near a school in Wuyen village, followed by an explosion. Soon, the fire and emergency teams arrived at the spot to douse the flames,” he said.
In Jammu’s Doda district, it was a usual night for 29-year-old Farid Ahmed Naik. As he does almost everyday, he was on a call with friends talking about his day and cracking jokes, when he suddenly heard thundering sounds overhead.
“I asked my friend if he heard something too. He said, ‘yes’. The next thing we did was peek out of the window to see what was in the air,” said Naik.
Heavy artillery shelling was reported from posts across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir including Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu.
At least 10 civilians have been killed in the cross-border shelling by the Pakistan army across the LoC. The incidents of shelling have left more than 40 people injured in the border district of Poonch.
The shelling was carried out by the Pakistan army less than an hour after the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor.
Officials said they were first informed of the injuries and possible casualties around 2.30 a.m., and measures were taken to prevent further injuries and deaths.
Twenty-year-old Rohit Nagotra was taken by surprise when he heard gunfire and flare-ups in the sky. A resident of Jakh village in Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu district, he said the entire neighbourhood rushed out onto the streets.
“People were screaming with each thud, and some started covering their windows and reciting prayers. It was very scary,” said Nagotra, a student.
For most, the attack itself wasn’t a surprise, but the intensity of it was, they said.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)