Shelling intense in Indian Kashmir: Witness recounts chaos, terror amidst the explosions and panicked cries of the locals.
On the morning of May 7, 2025, Mohammad Umar, a resident of Wuyan, Pampore - famous for its saffron fields on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's capital - was startled awake by the thunderous sound of a Low-flying fighter jet. The dim light of the early hour gave way to an explosion so bright it was like daybreak. In a heartbeat, Umar, born and raised in this military flashpoint, woke his sister and darted to their basement.
This alarming event unfolded against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, provoked by an April 22 ambush in Pahalgam, where terrorist attackers claimed the lives of 26 innocent souls, mainly Indian tourists. India accused Pakistan-backed militants of orchestrating this carnage, a claim stoutly contested by Pakistan.
In retaliation, India unleashed a wave of missile strikes against suspected terrorist strongholds in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province. The Indian government claimed that these actions targeted the network behind the Pahalgam attack.
Pakistan, in response, characterized these hostile acts as a "declaration of war," asserting that they shot down five Indian combat aircraft, including three French Rafale jets. Two of these planes plummeted into Indian-controlled Kashmir, with one crashing into a school building in Wuyan, near Pampore. Surprisingly, this incident, though within India-controlled Kashmir, wasn't a direct hit from Indian forces but rather the consequence of Pakistan's reported counter-strike.
The fire ignited by the school building's impact required extensive firefighting efforts, underscoring the gravity of the situation. This confrontation representd one of the most severe escalations between India and Pakistan since their near-war in 2019.
Additional Details:- Incident Context: The tensions started following an attack on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, India-controlled Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists. India implicated Pakistan-backed militants, a charge Islamabad denied[2].- Indian Retaliation: On May 7, India executed missile strikes targeting infrastructure linked to the April attack within Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province[2].- Pakistan's Response: Pakistan labelled the strikes as an "act of war" and claimed to have downed five Indian jets, including three French Rafale aircraft[3]. Two of the jets crashed into villages in Indian-controlled Kashmir, and one in Punjab state[1][2].- Wuyan Incident: The downed aircraft's debris struck a school building and mosque compound in Wuyan village, near Pampore. Despite the event occurring within Indian-controlled Kashmir, it was the result of Pakistan's reported counter-offensive against India[3].
- The incident in Wuyan, Pampore, resembling a scene from war-and-conflicts, was triggered by a downed French Rafale jet, a consequence of the India-Pakistan tensions over the civilian casualties in Pahalgam.
- In the political arena, the Pakistan government characterized India's missile strikes as a declaration of war, retaliating with the assertion that they shot down five Indian combat aircraft, including three French Rafale jets.
- Amidst the general news headlines, the school building in Wuyan, a village on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's capital, was the unfortunate location where a crashed Rafale jet caused an explosion like daybreak, mirroring elements of crime-and-justice.
- As the dust settled on Wuyan and firefighting efforts came to a close, the confrontation between India and Pakistan revealed itself as one of the most severe escalations since their near-war in 2019, shedding light on the volatile politics of the region.
- Like many saffron farmers in Wuyan, Mohammad Umar, stirred from his sleep by a low-flying fighter jet, is now living amidst the aftermath of the ongoing civil unrest in Kashmir, a reminder of the turbulent relations between India and Pakistan in the realm of war-and-conflicts.
