Residents near Line of Control fear they might have to migrate again due to escalated tension
After two Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies mutilated by Pakistan's Border Action Team on Monday, there is fear among the residents of villages close to the Line of Control or LoC. At Jhallas Salotri, the last village at the LoC in the Krishna Ghati sector, scared border residents fear an escalation might trigger another round of migration.
"We fear we may have to migrate to Poonch town whenever there is an escalation at the LoC, every time we are forced to leave our livestock behind, we are facing lots of problems," said Abdul Samad, a resident of Jhallas village.
At Chakandabagh, the cross Line of Control trade hasn't stopped after the brutal attack.
"When the fighting will stop, everybody will benefit, they as well as us, thousands of people are dependent on cross LoC trade, so we want that there should be no fighting", said Abdul Majeed, a Cross LoC truck driver.
But patience of the families of soldiers is running out.
"Whenever any soldier is killed, we remember our brother, but government never takes any concrete action against Pakistan," said Sanjay Sharma, brother of Sipahi Yugul Sharma from the Jhalas village who was killed in the Kargil war.
Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh of the Indian Army and Constable Prem Sagar were on patrol at the Line of Control in Kashmir when they were ambushed by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) of army men and terrorists that sneaked 250 metres into Indian territory.
Calling the killing and mutilation of its two soldiers a "strong act of provocation", India has told Islamabad there is "sufficient evidence" of the role of the Pakistani army. However, Pakistan had asked for "actionable evidence", warning "any misadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing."