operation Sindoor: PM Modi Meets Home Secretary as Pakistan's Shelling Kills 13 Civilians Near LoC

Amid rising tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened an emergency meeting on Thursday with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to discuss the immediate relocation of civilians from vulnerable border villages. The meeting followed a high-level security briefing by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on the situation unfolding at the Indo-Pak border.

The urgency of the meeting stems from Pakistan's continued unprovoked shelling in response to India's recently launched Operation Sindoor—a retaliatory military strike targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 dead.

Civilian Casualties Mount

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), at least 13 civilians have lost their lives and more than 50 have been injured in the recent cross-border artillery attacks. Among the injured, 44 individuals are reported to be residents of the Poonch sector, an area hit particularly hard by Pakistan’s shelling.

In the Uri sector, the scale of devastation is stark. Two civilian homes were completely destroyed, and four people were injured after artillery fire struck the village. One home had its roof collapsed entirely, and another had its outer wall reduced to rubble.

Firsthand Accounts from the Ground

Villagers recounted harrowing experiences as shelling began around 2 a.m. on Wednesday and continued intermittently well into the day. Some residents managed to flee to relatively safer areas like Baramullah, but many remained trapped in their homes, paralyzed by fear and lacking resources.

“There was not one shell but multiple. The noise was deafening. We’re living in constant fear. But where do the poor go? We have nothing,” said a villager speaking to NDTV.

Strategic Escalation After Operation Sindoor

The Pakistani shelling appears to be a retaliatory measure following India's decisive military action under Operation Sindoor. The Indian Armed Forces struck several high-value terror targets, including camps allegedly responsible for training terrorists like David Headley and Ajmal Kasab—key operatives behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Other targeted sites included launchpads used in cross-border terrorism incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in both 2023 and 2024.

The escalation has been compounded by India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty following the Pahalgam attack, further straining bilateral ties and fueling Pakistan's aggression along the LoC.

Humanitarian Crisis and Government Response

With civilian lives increasingly at risk, the government is urgently strategizing ways to move residents from high-risk zones to safer areas. Relief measures and temporary shelters are being planned as part of the crisis management strategy.

As tensions rise, security forces remain on high alert along the LoC, while the international community watches the evolving situation with growing concern.