Cross Border Mortar Shelling Hits Kashmir Village, Homes Damaged, Residents Flee As Artillery Fire Continues

Poonch, India— Cross-border mortar shelling hit border village dwellings in the Poonch district at 4:10 a.m. on October 30, 2026, damaging eight homes and forcing 120 residents to flee to underground bunkers as firing continued for two hours.

The shelling struck Gulpur and Balakote hamlets along the Line of Control. Residents said at least 15 mortar rounds landed in residential lanes. One shell hit a kitchen, injuring a 45-year-old woman and her daughter. Another destroyed a cattle shed, killing three animals. Walls were pocked with shrapnel.

“It started without warning. The whole house shook,” said Mohammad Ashraf, a farmer in Gulpur. “We grabbed the children and ran to the bunker. We could hear shells landing in the fields.”

The Indian Army said it returned fire with mortars and small arms after Pakistani posts fired first. Pakistan’s ISPR denied initiating fire and said it responded to Indian shelling that hit a border post. Both sides accuse each other of violating the 2021 ceasefire agreement, which has largely held until recent months.

Dawn reported the exchange follows three days of increased infantry activity and drone sightings along the LoC. Hindu Times said villagers had been warned by local administration to avoid fields near the fence after intelligence inputs about possible escalation.

District officials ordered schools in a 5-kilometer strip closed for the day. Revenue teams began damage assessment at first light. Tarpaulins and food packets were distributed at a relief camp set up in a government middle school.

“We have evacuated 22 families whose homes are within direct firing line,” said Poonch Deputy Commissioner Yasin Choudhary. “We have stocked bunkers and deployed medical teams. The situation is tense but under control.”

Ceasefire violations in Kashmir put civilians in an impossible position. They farm land that is both livelihood and target. Many bunkers built after 2018 are unfinished or waterlogged. Residents said they have asked for more concrete shelters for years.

Tonight firing has paused but troops remain on high alert. The injured are stable at Raja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital. Families remain in bunkers and the relief camp, waiting for clearance to return.