Cross border firing: Over 7,000 evacuated in Samba, Kathua

Over 7,000 people residing along the border in Samba and Kathua districts have been evacuated to safe places after Pakistani side resorted to heavy cross border firing along the international border.
The district administrations had also put in place a contingency place to accommodate the people migrating to safer places following the ceasefire violations in the Samba and Kathua districts.
Deputy Commissioner of Kathua district Shahid Iqbal Chowdhary said more than 4,300 people have taken shelter in various temporary shelter huts established to accommodate the border migrants.
"As of now we have more than 4,300 people who have taken shelter in the migrant camps here. We expect the numbers to increase by tomorrow as the firing was still going on," he said, adding the district administration has made all the necessary arrangements for the border migrants.

Situation in Samba district along the international border was not different where more than 3,100 people have already left their houses to take shelter at eight temporary shelter huts.
"So far, we have made eight temporary shelter huts operational for border migrants and 20 others have been kept on standby as we expect the number of migrants to increase," Deputy Commissioner Samba, Mubarak Singh said.

He said even though firing from across the border was still going on, authorities along with security forces have launched a rescue operation for the "stranded" border residents.
The army too has come forward to help rescue the border residents by deploying its vehicles to evacuate the stranded villagers.

"Army has provided its vehicles to evacuate the civilian population along the border villages who have been caught between the cross border firing," Defense spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said here.
Officials in the Kathua district said five domestic animals were killed where 12 houses were partially damaged in the cross border firing from the Pakistani side, an official in Kathua said.