
After Pakistan's inhuman act in Poonch district, authorities evacuated hundreds of residents from villages along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) to safer locations on Wednesday as a precautionary measure.
From Kathua to the Chicken Neck area in the Akhnoor sector, all villages located within a 5-kilometre aerial radius from the International Border were advised to relocate to safer areas.
On Wednesday morning, the Pakistani Army killed 12 civilians — including four children and two women — and injured over 50 others. The shelling targeted forward villages in the Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts, escalating tensions following India's missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.

India launched the strikes in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, South Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives, most of them tourists. In response, Pakistan began shelling border villages with artillery and mortars shortly afterward.
District administrations immediately mobilized resources to relocate residents to temporary shelters, including government buildings and homes of relatives, to ensure their safety.
Ravinder Singh, a resident of Changia Panchayat in the Arnia sector, told that many villagers had moved to camps established by the authorities as a precautionary measure. Although there was no direct firing in the village, located on the IB, residents chose to shift to Government Higher Secondary School, Bishnah, where the administration had made arrangements for their stay due to the tense situation.
For residents of the Arnia sector, five relief camps have been established at GBHSS Bishnah, GHSS Rehal, GHSS Slehar, GGHSS Bishnah, and GHSS Deoli, catering to nearly 10,000 people. Similar camps have been set up in the Madreen and Hiranagar blocks of Kathua district for affected villagers.
District-wise contact numbers of 24x7 Control Rooms set up in the districts of Jammu Division. pic.twitter.com/NHUX7vNqoQ
— Divisional Commissioner Jammu (@Divcomjammu) May 7, 2025
In Poonch — one of the worst-affected districts — residents fled independently amid relentless shelling. Mohammad Arshid, a resident of Mankote where a woman was killed and several others, including her young daughter, were injured, said, "We had a sleepless night waiting for the shelling to stop so I could move my family of six to a relative's house." Ravinder Singh, another local, added, "The Pahalgam attack left our forces with no choice but to strike terror camps across the border. There's no peace here."
In view of the prevailing situation all Schools, Colleges & educational institutions (private as well as Government) in the districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch will remain closed tomorrow also.
— Divisional Commissioner Jammu (@Divcomjammu) May 7, 2025
The district administration has ensured the availability of essential services, especially for women and children, at the temporary shelters.
Public Shelter Camps Set Up in Shelling-Affected Poonch District
With arrangements in place for relocating residents to safer areas, the District Administration of Poonch conducted a detailed review of preparedness at various designated shelter camps.
A team of senior officers, including the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR), Chief Planning Officer (CPO), and Tehsildar Haveli, visited the proposed camp sites to assess readiness and ensure all logistics and support systems are operational.
The locations designated as shelter camps include:
Caramel School, Chandak
Dingla University Campus
Ishat-ul-Uloom, Chandak
Higher Secondary School (HSS), Chandak
GHSS Lassana
Government High School (GHS), Sanai
Government Middle School (GMS), Sanai
GHSS Seri Khawaja
Polytechnic College, Sathra
The administration assures the public that essential services — including accommodation, food, and medical assistance — are available at all designated shelter sites. People are encouraged to use these facilities if they wish to relocate.