Night Of Shells: Ground Report From Poonch

By Syed Sammar Mehdi When the first shells landed just after sundown, Fakhar Din was inside with his children, finishing dinner. By midnight, his home in Baila village had collapsed around him. “We had just enough time to run,” he said, standing beside the wreckage of mud bricks and twisted tin that once formed his roof. “Everything is gone.” On the night of May 8, Pakistani forces fired a fresh wave of mortars across the Line of Control, targeting civilian areas in and around Poonch. The attack came less than 24 hours after a previous barrage killed 15 and wounded over 40 people. This time, the shelling was worse, residents said — more frequent, more intense, and deeper into populated zones. For the people of Poonch, it was another night of fear and flight. At least 400 families left their homes between dusk and dawn. The wounded arrived at District Hospital Poonch in a steady stream. Among them was 11-year-old Rameez, limping from a leg wound. “We heard a sound like a whistle,” he said softly. “Then a loud bang. Then nothing but dust.”

In Baila, entire blocks lie in ruins. Roofs have caved in. Glass shards from blown-out windows litter the roads. Shell marks scar the walls of what’s left standing. In the nearby town of Mandi, which has so far been spared direct hits, families from Sawjian, Baila and parts of Poonch city began arriving late into the night. The government vacated the Boys Higher Secondary School to serve as an emergency shelter. By morning, classrooms meant for students had turned into makeshift dormitories. “Most families arrived without anything,” said Ajaz Ahmed Jan, Member of the Legislative Assembly from Haveli, who has been on the ground coordinating relief. “We’ve asked people in Mandi to contribute whatever they can — food, clothes, bedding.” The response from the community has been swift. Mosques have opened their courtyards, gurdwaras their langars. In the middle of one such effort, local shopkeeper Amarjeet Singh paused to hand a blanket to a crying woman. “We are all the same here,” he said. “There is no Hindu, no Muslim, no Sikh in this pain.”

Residents describe the May 8 shelling as more destructive than the previous day. They say between 40 and 50 shells landed every half hour during the night. Most landed in civilian areas, including neighborhoods previously considered safe. In one lane near Poonch city’s main bazaar, a mortar round had split the road in half. “We’ve seen tension at the border before,” said Nazir Hussain, a retired schoolteacher. “But never like this. Never in the heart of town.” The violence has also disrupted education. Dozens of students from Poonch, stranded in Jammu due to road closures, are awaiting evacuation. “We are trying to bring them back safely,” said MLA Jan. “Their families are worried sick.” As the second night of shelling fades into another uncertain day, Poonch is left with grief, broken homes and unanswered questions. The town remains quiet now, but few believe the calm will last.