NDTV's Shiv Aroor reports from Salamabad village in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, approximately 10 kilometers from the Line of Control (LoC), where recent artillery fire from across the border has caused significant damage. The village bears the scars of obliterated homes and injured civilians following the attack.
Two civilian homes were destroyed by Pakistani shelling, and four people, including two children, sustained injuries and were evacuated to a district hospital in Baramulla, roughly 40 kilometers away. Smoke lingers over the ruins, indicating that fires continued to smolder after the shelling. Shrapnel has pierced metal rooftops and fragmented concrete walls, with one shell appearing to have exploded mid-air, scattering white-hot metal shards. The destruction includes twisted utensils, collapsed roofs, and severely damaged interiors.
An elderly resident recounted that a Pakistani artillery shell struck a home around 2 am, injuring two children, a 13-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. The targeted civilian settlement had no military presence, with the nearest army brigade located several kilometers away. Villagers emphasized they are farmers with families, not soldiers.
According to reports, the destruction aligns with high-velocity air-burst rounds that detonate in the air, dispersing shrapnel across a wide area. The extensive damage suggests the use of 130 mm or 155 mm caliber artillery shells, known for their destructive capabilities.
The attack on Salamabad occurred after India's airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes were part of Operation Sindoor, aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure, including training camps belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
NDTV's special edition from the LoC follows the attack in Pahalgam and includes reports from Uri, the site of the 2016 surgical strike. The Jhelum river in Uri is described as Pakistan's jugular vein, with Pakistan's agriculture potentially affected by India's decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
