Jammu, May 9 (UNI) In view of heavy shelling along the international border and the Line of Control following escalating tension between India and Pakistan, the administration has shifted the border dwellers to safer locations in several areas across the Jammu region.

However, panic gripped Jammu city after at least eight missiles were fired by Pakistan on Thursday night towards the border areas, including the Jammu Airport at Satwari.

Indian air defence units successfully intercepted and blocked all the missiles, defence sources said.

“The border residents have been shifted to safer locations and camps have been set up in various parts of the border areas,” a senior official pleading anonymity from one of the border districts said.

He said locals, along with civil administration officials and J&K police, have shifted the population, especially the women and the children, to the shelter homes established at safer locations in border districts like Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch.

“The evacuated families were being provided blankets, bedding and food by the administration while medical aid is also being supplied to the ailing people,” he added.

One army soldier and 13 civilians, including a woman and four children, were killed, and as many as 52 were injured after Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling and artillery firing on May 7 in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

On the night of May 8, powerful explosions rocked parts of Jammu city, following which air raid sirens went off and there was a complete blackout when drones with blinking red lights were spotted in the sky.

Defence sources said that eight missiles from Pakistan were directed at Satwari, Samba, Ranbir Singh Pura and Arnia, and all the missiles were intercepted and blocked by Air Defence Units.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also arrived here from Srinagar and met the injured of Poonch shelling at Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Poonch, Shafket Hussain, on Friday visited the forward border area of Khari Karmara in the Poonch district as part of a swift and coordinated response to emerging security concerns in the region.

Accompanied by other senior police and civil officers, SSP Poonch supervised the evacuation of residents from the vulnerable border village.

The SSP also interacted with the local residents, assuring them of all possible assistance and emphasising the police department's commitment to their security.

Further monitoring of the situation is underway, and police remain on high alert to avert any untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, the BJP leadership on Thursday visited the refugee camps established for residents of border areas forced to migrate for safety.

Approximately 300 individuals from around 70 families had been relocated to temporary shelters to protect them from the ongoing threat, said the leaders.

They appealed to the administration to provide the best possible amenities to ease the hardships of the displaced and underlined the need for maintaining consistent and adequate supplies like baby milk, medicines and other essentials as well as sanitary conditions in the camps.

In Jammu, panic has gripped the locals after Thursday night missile attacks, as they were seen worried about tonight apprehending a similar situation.

In view of the current situation, Indian Railways is running three special trains from Jammu and Udhampur to Delhi, said an official.

Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Ittoo has already ordered the closure of all educational institutions across Jammu and Kashmir.

The administration assured the public that essential services, including accommodation, food, and medical assistance, are available at all shelter sites while people are being encouraged to make use of these facilities if they wish to relocate, said an official spokesman.

The Jammu Police, in an advisory for the general public, have asked not to share, upload, or circulate any content related to security deployments or operational movements in the district.

As per the advisory, “All citizens of District Jammu are strictly advised not to share, upload, or circulate any content related to security deployments, operational movements, or sensitive locations on social media or any other public platforms.”

The security grid has been heightened all along the International Border as well in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts, said an official.

He said that the Border Security Force—the frontline force guarding the Jammu Frontier—is already on alert and keeping a close watch on the situation. UNI VBH ARN SSP