NDTV Exclusive: Woman Dead, Daughter Screaming – J&K's Uri Faces Pak Firing
Uri:
In the mountainous Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, less than ten kilometres from the Line of Control (LoC), the family of 45-year-old Nargis Bano is devastated by her loss. On Thursday night, Ms Bano was killed and two of her relatives were seriously injured when a Pakistani artillery shell hit the vehicle they were travelling in, as they attempted to flee heavy cross-border shelling.
The shell tore through the roof of the car, a Scorpio SUV, approximately 3 kilometres from the family’s home in Razarwani village. Witnesses say shrapnel from the blast struck Ms Bano on the head. She died of her injuries while being rushed to a hospital in Baramulla, 40 kilometres away. Two other occupants of the vehicle, identified by relatives as close family members, sustained injuries and were hospitalised.
“She was in a car,” said one of Ms Bano’s relatives. “Nargis and other members of her family were in a Scorpio trying to escape Pakistani shelling. The car was around 3 km from their house when a shell fell on the car, following which shrapnel went through the roof and hit Nargis on her head.”
Sound of women wailing, children screaming, at Ms Bano’s home, the grief was palpable. A large crowd of relatives gathered at the modest house, and not a pair of eyes was dry. Neighbours attempted to comfort the bereaved, and a daughter who fainted upon learning of her mother’s death.
Men stood by, some wiping tears, others making phone calls for information. Officials confirmed that the Indian Army responded to the Pakistani shelling with proportionate force but provided no further operational details.
The incident marks the first reported civilian fatality in this round of escalated shelling from Pakistan, which began late Thursday night and continued intermittently into Friday morning. It is also the first time, according to residents, that artillery fire has reached civilian areas previously considered out of range.
READ | NDTV Ground Report: “Where Will We Go” – Uri Locals After Heavy Pak Shelling
NDTV reported from Uri’s Salamabad village, located nearby, when the smell of smoke from fires caused by incoming shells was still in the air. Residents said Pakistani troops targeted multiple civilian settlements, including Silikot, Kamalkote, Boniyar, Gingle and Mohura. Officials confirmed that several structures were damaged across these areas, and emergency response teams have struggled to access some of the worst-hit locations due to continued volatility.
Two civilian homes in Salamabad were completely destroyed, and at least four people, including two children, sustained injuries in separate incidents. Local residents were seen salvaging household items from the rubble. A partially collapsed wall, blackened pots, and a burnt wooden beam are all that remain of one of the homes.
“Four people live in this house,” said an elderly man, pointing at charred ruins. “Two children, a 13-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, were injured when, around 2 am, a Pakistani artillery shell fell on the house.”
This damage occurred in a civilian settlement with no military presence. Local residents reiterated that the nearest army brigade is several kilometres behind the site of the shelling. “We are not soldiers. We are farmers. We have families here,” one elderly villager said. “Where will we go?”
Further south, in Jammu’s Samba district, seven terrorists were killed in a separate security operation after an attempted infiltration across the border. According to the Border Security Force (BSF), the group was supported by covering fire from Pakistani Rangers.
Thursday night also witnessed a series of security alerts in Jammu and Srinagar, where drone incursions and low-range missile attacks were reported near key defence infrastructure. Indian Air Defence systems neutralised the aerial threats, but the alerts triggered power outages across the cities. Electricity has since been restored.
In response to the overall escalation, educational institutions across Jammu and Kashmir have been ordered shut for Friday and Saturday.
