Escalating Conflict: Kashmiri Towns Caught in Deadly India-Pakistan Crossfire

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The small, embattled city of Poonch, perched on the Indian-Pakistan border, has become a hotspot of chaos and destruction after a series of mortar attacks. Footage shared by locals shows a home blown to smithereens, with a disheartened woman lamenting, "This is a disaster."

At least eleven lives have been claimed in Poonch since early May 7, following Pakistani retaliation for Indian missile strikes targeting multiple sites across Pakistan. These strikes stirred up memories of the 1971 war, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh, making this the most significant attack on Pakistani soil since then.

As India and Pakistan stand on the edge of a potential military conflict, many Kashmiris feel the brunt of their tension. The night of May 10 saw the most intense shelling Poonch and other regions in Indian-administered Kashmir have endured in over 40 years, causing numerous casualties and leaving residents terror-stricken.

The dead included a teenage boy and a seven-year-old child, amid reports of two siblings being crushed under exploding shells. The villages most heavily affected were Shahpur, Mankote, and Krishna Ghati, as shelling also intensified in Rajouri district.

"This war has been forced upon us," argues Tara Kartha, a military expert from the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi. Two weeks ago, a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir set off the series of escalating strikes.

Yet, amidst the violence, the locals' plea remains the same: "We don't want war." However, mounting anger simmers against local authorities for inadequate evacuation efforts, leaving residents to bear the brunt of the conflict that they did not invite.

As the years go by without a solution to the unresolved Kashmir dispute, the silenced guns roar once again, casting shadows of uncertainty over a peace process that was slowly building traction."

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Sources:[1] Al Jazeera, (2023). Poonch kills 7 as shelling on India-administered Kashmir intensifies.[2] The Economic Times, (2023). India-Pakistan Tensions: UN holds emergency meeting, calls for dialogue and peaceful resolution.[3] Evening Standard, (2023). Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vows 'befitting reply' to India.[4] BBC News, (2023). India 'downs' Pakistani planes during air battle over Kashmir.

The breaking news from Poonch, a city on the Indian-Pakistan border, is the intensifying conflict, with mortar attacks causing destruction and loss of life.
The recent escalation of violence in Poonch, since early May 7, has resulted in severe casualties, reviving memories of the 1971 war, marking the most significant attack on Pakistani soil since then.
The small city of Kashmir, especially Poonch and other regions, has been devastated by intense shelling, causing terror among the local population.
As India and Pakistan stand on the brink of another potential military conflict, the citizens of Kashmir are left in the crossfire, with little respite despite the ongoing alternate news sources such as general-news, crime-and-justice, and sports.
Amidst the chaos, the locals continue to plead for a peaceful resolution to this recurring conflict, with a teenage boy and a seven-year-old child among the latest casualties.
As the situation in Kashmir remains unpredictable, the teetering peace process faces renewed challenges, with mounting anger toward local authorities for inadequate crisis management efforts, leaving the innocent innocents, once again, the victims of war.